Vi. 


«■  returned  iu 


Ex  Libris 

Cat  and  Henry  H.  Bucher 


Vandyke  Phofo. 


f^  '^'^^'^'^  fy  (^a 


ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF 
CENTRAL    AFRICA 


A  RECORD  OF  TWENTY  YEARS'  PIONEERING  AMONG 
THE   BAROTSl    OF   THE   UPPER    ZAMBESI 


FRANCOIS     COILLARD 

Of  the  Societe  des  Missions  Evangeliques  de  Paris 


Translated  from  the  French  and  Edited  by  his  Niece 

CATHERINE     WINKWORTH     MACKINTOSH 


With  Forty- four  Illustrations  from  Photographs  by  the  Author 


SECOND   EDITION 


NEW   YORK 

AMERICAN     TRACT     SOCIETY 

150    NASSAU    STREET 

1903 


THE    BELOVED   AND   BLESSED   MEMORY 

OF    HER 

WHO   FOR   THIRTY   YEARS 

SHARED   AND   ADORNED   MY   LIFE  AND   MISSIONARY   ACTIVITY, 

JOYFULLY   FACED   THE   WANDERINGS,   HARDSHIPS, 

AND     DANGERS     OF     PIONEER     WORK, 

WHO 

BY  HER  SUFFERINGS  AND  DEATH 

CONSECRATED     THE     BAROTSI    MISSION, 

AND 

NOW  SLEEPS   AT   SEFULA, 

"She  hath  done  what  she  could." 


CHKlbTINA    CUILLAKU     N  KK    MACKI.NTObH) 


[  To  face  pag:  v. 


AUTHOR'S  PREFACE 
TO  THE  ENGLISH  READER 

THE  present  work  is  not  a  systematic  history,  either  of 
my  own  missionary  career  of  forty  years,  or  of  the 
Barotsi  Mission.  These  are  only  scattered  leaves,  collected,  at 
the  request  of  friends,  from  the  pages  of  the  Journal  des 
Missions  Evangeliques,  where  they  have  appeared  from  time 
to  time  during  the  last  twenty  years,  and  now  published  less 
for  those  who  already  know  them  than  for  the  rising  generation, 
for  whom  the  Africa  of  the  ox-waggon  and  the  assegai  will 
soon  be  little  but  a  name.  Jotted  down  in  the  intervals  of 
arduous  toil,  often  by  the  light  of  camp-fires,  cramped  in  a 
canoe,  or  jolted  in  a  cart,  they  make  no  literary  pretensions ; 
they  are  but  simple  descriptions,  which  have  already  proved 
interesting  to  some,  and  which  God  has  deigned  to  bless.  I 
should  have  liked  to  condense  them  much  more,  and  above 
all  to  revise  them  ;  but  time  and  health  have  failed  me  to  do 
more  than  glance  over  the  proofs.  After  all,  the  untrammelled 
style  of  the  traveller  sits  better  upon  an  old  African  wanderer. 
In  an  academical  garb,  to  which  I  have  no  title,  my  friends 
would  not  recognise  me. 

I  am  no  painter,  but  I  do  admire  Nature.  Nowadays  every 
one  practises  photography,  myself  amongst  the  number.  The 
illustrations  to  this  volume  have  been  executed  from  very 
indifferent  negatives  ;  they  are  the  work  of  a  tyro,  hampered 
by  adverse  conditions  of  climate  and  the  lack  of  suitable 
appliances  ;  and  their  sole  value — if  they  possess  any— is  that 
they  are  instantaneous  views.      Though    not   artistic,  they  are 


VI  PREFACE 

faithful,  and  I  would  say  the  same  of  the  letters  which  they 
illustrate.  They,  like  the  pictures,  only  profess  to  be  instan- 
taneous photographs ;  not  artistic,  but  certainly  faithful. 

I  do  not  share  the  weakness  of  certain  amateurs  who  are 
the  sole  admirers  of  their  own  performances,  and  who  do  not 
perceive  that  people  only  praise  them  out  of  good  nature.  I 
have  far  too  exalted  an  ideal  for  that.  I  am  fully  aware  of 
my  own  awkwardness  and  my  own  short-comings.  If  here 
and  there  I  have  succeeded,  it  is  by  sheer  accident.  But 
being  only  an  amateur,  I  do  not  profess  to  work  for  the  great 
public. 

My  heartfelt  gratitude  also  is  due  to  my  niece,  who,  with 
her  sisters'  help,  has  spared  neither  time,  pains,  nor  labour  to 
make  this  volume  presentable  to  the  English  Christian  public, 
and  thus  serve  the  interests  of  the  Lord's  Kingdom.  But  if 
these  pages  can  interest  our  friends,  and  win  new  ones  for  us  ; 
give  them  a  true  idea  of  the  country  where  we  have  travelled, 
laboured,  and  suffered  ;  and  increase  their  love  for  the  work 
to  which  we  have  given  our  lives  ;  if  only  they  can  comfort 
some  hearts,  and  confirm  some  souls  in  the  Faith ;  give  a 
fresh  impulse  to  the  Evangelisation  of  the  Heathen  World ; 
awaken  and  develop  some  new  vocations  ; — if,  above  all,  they 
can  exalt  and  glorify  the  Master  Whom  I  serve,  and  Whom 
1  love — I  shall  have  succeeded,  and  my  prayer  will  have  been 
granted. 

F.   COILLARD. 

September  12th,  1897. 


NOTE 

THE  heartiest  thanks  are  due  from  author  and  editor 
to  Captain  St.  Hill  Gibbons,  whose  generous  courtesy 
has  permitted  us  to  make  use  of  his  own  survey  of  the 
Barotsi  country ;  and  to  all  other  friends,  who,  by  lending 
photographs  in  their  possession,  or  in  various  other  ways, 
have  helped  forward  the  publication. 

Except  where  otherwise  stated,  the  footnotes  have  all  been 
added  by  the  editor — of  course,  with  the  author's  sanction.  No 
pains  have  been  spared  to  verify  every  detail ;  but  should  the 
experienced  South  African  detect  any  discrepancies  or  in- 
accuracies, they  must  be  laid  to  the  charge  of  the  translator, 
and  likewise  all  literary  short-comings.  The  English  version 
is  wholly  inadequate  to  convey  the  charm  of  the  original  and 
the  delicate  precision  of  its  diction.  But  the  chief  practical 
difficulty  has  arisen  in  connection  with  the  spelling  of  the 
African  names.  The  strictly  phonetic  and  grammatical  French 
orthography  looked  so  unfamiliar  to  English  eyes  that  it  was 
abandoned  as  likely  to  confuse  the  reader.  Unfortunately, 
there  is  no  rule  in  this  respect  among  English  writers  on 
African  subjects  ;  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  retain  the  e 
to  represent  the  sound  of  e  as  in  rein,  while  e  (without  accent) 
represents  that  of  e  in  lean.  When  the  latter  follows  a  vowel, 
it  is  marked  with  the  diaeresis  i\ 

The  illustrations  are  all  from  photographs  by  M.  Coillard, 
with  the  exception  of  the  one  facing  page  17 — "  The  Camp,  near 
Harrysmith "  ;  and  this  is  also  the  only  one  that  belongs   to 


viii  NOTE 

Part  I.  in  order  of  time.  The  others  were  all  taken  after  his 
visit  to  Europe,  when  he  first  studied  photography.  That  of 
Mr.  Waddell  and  the  leopard  was  not  taken  at  the  time  referred 
to  in  the  text,  but  on  one  of  many  similar  occasions  later  on. 

The  portrait  of  M.  Coillard  is  from  a  photograph  by  Vandyk, 
Gloucester  Road,  S.W.  ;  that  of  Mme.  Coillard  from  one  by 
Penabert,  Paris. 

C  W.  M. 


CONTENTS 

PART    I 

THE  BANYAI  EXPEDITION 

1877— 1879 

PAGE 

THE   BANYAI    EXPEDITION 3 

CHAPTER   I 

Off  to  Banyai'-land — Preparations  for  Departure — Visit  to  Natal — English 
Farmers — Return  to  Leribe — Conference  at  Morija — Evangelists 
chosen — Farewell  to  Lerib6 — Harrysinith — Arrival  at  Pretoria — 
British  Proclamation — Mr.  Bosman — British  Soldiers — The  Bush 
Veldt — Kindness  of  Boers — Goedgedacht — Valdezia — MM.  Creux 
and  Berthoud — Mr.  Hofmeyr's  Work — Volunteers  from  his  Con- 
gregation— Departure  from  Goedgedacht 8 

CHAPTER   II 

On  the  Banks  of  the  Limpopo— Palm  Tree  Fountain — Crossing  the 
Crocodile  River  —  Lions — Arrival  in  Banyai'-land  —  The  Chief 
Nyamonto — Adventures  at  Masonda's  Mountain — Cattle  carried  off 
— A  Great  Deliverance — Messengers  sent  from  Maliankombe  at 
Nyanikoe  to  Lobengula 20 

CHAPTER    III 

Alone  among  the  Banyai — Treacherous  Cowards — Carried  to  Bulawayo 

— Cattle  restored — Lobengula's  Captives — An  Embarrassing  Inter- 
view— A  Month's  Probation — Permission  for  Banyai  Mission  refused 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

— Mission  to  Mozila  proposed — Alternative  Plans — The  North  Bank 
of  the  Zambesi  proposed — Sickness  and  Discouragement — Loben- 
gula's  Second  and  Final  Refusal— Dismissal     .        ,        .        ,        •      31 


CHAPTER   IV 

Departure  from  Matabele-land — Final  Interview  with  Lobengula — Misery 
of  Africa — Ferocious  Character  of  the  Matabele — Barrenness  of 
Mission  Work — Tati  Gold  Fields — "  Ruined  Cities  " — Ethnological 
Problems— Sickness  in  Camp — Accidents  on  the  Road — Arrival  at 
Khama's  Town — Warm  Welcome — Khama's  Character  and  Govern- 
ment— Missionary  Meeting — Future  Plans  discussed — Decision  to 
go  to  Barotsi-land 43 


CHAPTER   V 

Expedition  to  the  Barotsi  Valley — Desert  Journey — False  Guides — No 
Water — Liponkoe  (L.M.S.) — Arrival  at  Leshoma — Victoria  Falls — 
Sesheke — Making  Acquaintance  with  Barotsi  Chiefs — Their  Cor- 
diality— Barotsi  Politics — Livingstone's  Traces — Breaking  Ground 
— First  Gospel  Preaching — Return  to  Leshoma— Lions — Death  of 
Khosana — Return  to  Sesheke — King  requests  Missionaries  to  come 
back  soon — Death  of  Eleazar — Of  Bushman — Major  Serpa  Pinto    .       53 


CHAPTER  VI 

Shoshongto  Valdczia — Seeking  a  Temporary  Field  for  Basuto  Catechists 
— Khama's  Kindness — Seleka — Adventures  near  the  Blaauwberg — 
Mr.  Stcch's  Station — Mr.  Hofmeyr's — Sickness  and  Death  at  Val- 
dezia — Mochache's — A  Sad  Journey — Pretoria  and  Potchefstroom — 
Welcome  to  the  Expedition — -The  Trek-menschen — Evangelists  sent 
to  Seleka — Bad  News  from  Barotsi-land — Decision  to  visit  France 
— State  of  Lerib6— Journey  to  the  Cape — Arrival  in  Europe     ,        , 


CHAPTER  VII 

London — The  Whirlpool — A  Reminiscence — Coffee  Palaces  and  Cab- 
men—Mildmay  Conference — The  Sunday-School  Festival — Plead- 
ing the  Cause  of  Africa — Molapo's  Death — A  Contrast     .        •        .      88 


CONTENTS  XI 

PART     II 

THE  BAROTSI  EXPEDITION 

1882—1887 

PAGE 

THE    BAROTSI    EXPEDITION 99 

CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Return  to  Africa — Arrival  at  the  Cape — The  Huguenot  School — 
Stellenbosch — Wellington- — Natal — Travelling  New  Style  and  Old 
Style — A  Trying  Journey — Arrival  at  Leribe — Disastrous  Effects  of 
the  War — Jubilee  of  the  S.M.E.P. — Disappointments — Tour  with 
M.  Jeanmairet  among  the  Churches — An  Appeal  to  the  Friends  of 
Missions — Arrival  of  the  Weitzeckers — Departure  from  Leribe         .     102 

CHAPTER   IX 

Across  the  Transvaal  to  Shoshong — A  Trying  Journey — Difficulties  at 
Pretoria — Duties  remitted— General  Joubert  in  a  New  Role — Pros- 
pects of  Scarcity — The  Staff  of  the  Expedition — Bad  Roads — 
Saul's  Poort — Delay  and  Losses  at  the  Marico — Aaron's  Arrival — 
Shoshong — Seleka — A  Baptism  there — Return  to  Shoshong— Gene- 
rosity of  Khama  and  his  People — Messages  from  Barotsi-land — 
The  Post — Starting  again 114 

CHAPTER  X 

Shoshong  to  Leshoma — Kane — Cold — Khama's  Envoys  to  Robosi — 
M.  Coillard's  Fiftieth  Birthday— Pata-matenga — The  Jesuits'  Mis- 
sion— Their  Kindness — Difficulties  01  the  Journey — Waddell — 
Aaron — Levi — Leshoma — A  Pilgrimage 130 

CHAPTER   XI 

Sesheke  and  Leshoma — Retrospects — A  Heavy  Washing  Day — Arrival 
at  the  Zambesi  Ford — No  Response— Return  to  Leshoma — Ex- 
planations—A Matabele  Scare— The  Market  at  Leshoma— Mission 
Work — Messengers  to  fetch  Missionaries— Hospitality  at  Sesheke 
— Start  for  the  Capital — Revolution — New  Delay — Ben's  Troubles 
— Making  Nets — Return    to   Leshoma^Zambesian  Languages — A 


XU  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Boy  for  Sale — Departure  of  the  Basuto — Life  at  Leshoma — M.  Coil- 
lard  and  Aaron  to  Sesheke  and  Back — Akufuna  chosen  King — 
Sends  to  fetch  Missionaries — Fever — Darkest  Africa — Lavishness 
of  Traders — Journey  to  Sesheke — Studies  in  Philology— A  Direful 
Discovery — "The  Chiefs  in  my  Pocket  "    ......     141 


CHAPTER   XII 

First  Journey  to  the  Capital — A  Prosperous  Voyage — Camping  on  the 
Banks — The  Rapids  of  Death — Pirates  and  Brigands — Ngonye  Falls 
— The  Barotsi  Valley — A  Royal  Tomb — Nalolo  and  Queen  Maibiba 
Lealuyi — An  Official  Reception— Inspecting  a  Site — A  Night  Adven- 
ture— Respect  of  the  Barotsi  for  the  Basuto — Return  to  Sesheke — 
Death  of  Aaron's  Daughter^ — Leshoma  once  more — A  Dark  Prospect 
Disasters  with  the  Post  and  the  Draught  Oxen  —  To  our 
Collaborators 165 


CHAPTER   XIII 

Winter  at  Leshoma — Kamburu  and  Nguana-Ngombe — Soap-making — 
Neighbourly  Intercourse  with  the  Jesuits — Fresh  Political  Troubles 
and  Delays — A  Bargain  in  Goats — British  Protectorate  of  Khama's 
Country — Engagement  of  Mile.  Coillard  to  M,  Jeanmairet — The 
Passage  of  the  Zambesi — Life  at  Kazungula — Death  of  Little  Monyai 
— Arrival  at  Sesheke — The  Jesuits — Dr.  Holub — Revolution  and 
Civil  War — Treachery  and  Robbery — Perils  of  Waters  and  Perils  of 
Wild  Beasts — Marriage  of  Elise  Coillard  and  M.  Jeanmairet — A 
Wedding  Party  under  Difficulties — Building  the  Station — A  Reign 
of  Terror — Middleton  sent  to  Pretoria 184 


CHAPTER   XIV 

Second  Journey  to  the  Capital — A  Zambesian  Charybdis— The  Hunter's 
Paradise— Boat  lost  in  the  Rapids— Vandalism— Nalolo  and  Queen 
Mokwae— An  Unexpected  Meeting — King  Lewanika — Lealuyi — 
Visit  of  the  Chief  Moremi — The  Barotsi  Lekhothla — Conversation 
with  the  King— Barotsi  Legends — The  Natamoyo— Sunday  Service 
Back  to  Sesheke— Visit  to  Mambova— Murder  and  Cattle-lifting— 
An  Appeal — Middleton  returns  from  Pretoria— Dr.  Holub       .         .     209 


CHAPTER  XV 

Third  Journey  to  the  Valley— Sesheke  to  Sefula  by  Land— The  Vanguard 
with  Waggons  —  Nguana-Ngombe  —  The  Morantsiane— Progress 
under  Difficulties— The  Tse-tse  Fly— Refractory  Servants-  Kalangu 


CONTENTS  Xiii 

PAGE 

An  Eclipse  of  the  Sun — Dr.  Holuh's  Disaster — Njoko — A  Catas- 
trophe— The  Lumbe  River — A  Vision — Depopulated  Districts — 
Misfortunes  never  come  singly — A  Rare  Treat — The  Motondo  River 
The  Forest  of  Thirst — The  Ruyi  River— A  Conjuration — Sefula 
Springs — Hidden  Riches  of  Vegetation — Matsa — Sefula  at  Last      .     233 


CHAPTER   XVI 

The  Station  of  Sefula — Clearing  the  Groimd — Lewanika's  Palace — In- 
dustry of  the  Barotsi — Departure  to  fetcli  Mme.  Coillard — The  Thief 
of  Time — An  Ardent  Sportsman — Justice  at  Sesheke — The  Shadow 
of  the  Almighty — The  Source  of  Weakness — A  Ten  Years'  Pil- 
grimage— An  Anxious  Parting — Prosperous  Journey  to  Sefula — 
Miseries  of  the  Vassal  Tribes — A  Natural  Phenomenon — Rapid 
Progress  of  Mission  Buildings — The  King's  Tribute — A  Visit  from 
Lewanika 260 


PART    II  I 
AI    SEFULA 

1887— 1892 

CHAPTER   XVII 

Beginnings  of  the  VV^ork  at  Sefula — A  Council  at  Lealuyi — The  Barotsi's 
View  of  Missions — The  Execution  of  a  Sorcerer— The  Marriage 
Question — Poison  v.  Bloodshed — The  House  Built — School  estab- 
lished— Difficulties  of  Discipline — Trial  by  Ordeal — "  Thou  shalt 
not  kill " — The  Missionary's  Daily  Life — Industrial  Skill  of  the 
Barotsi — Their  Character — Arrival  of  Reinforcements — Plots  and 
Counterplots — MM.  Dardier  and  Goy — An  Equestrian  Adventure — 
A  Tragedy 277 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

Harotsi  on  the  War-path — A  Cattle  Raid  in  Prospect — "  To  the  Mashuku- 
lumboe  !  " — A  Full-dress  Parade^On  the  March — The  Prophetess 
— Break-up  of  the  School — Thieves — Fate  of  the  Rebel  Mathaha  and 
of  the  loyal  Tahalima — "  The  Commune  " — False  Reports       ,        .     297 


xiv  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   XIX 

PAGE 

The  Return  of  the  Army — Its  Reception  at  the  Capital — Distribution  of 
Loot — "  She" — Death  of  Dr.  Dardier  and  the  Jallas'  Baby— Reflec- 
tions and  Hardships — The  Basuto  Evangelists — The  Spirit  of  Mis- 
sions— The  King's  Diplomatic  Illness — Divining  Bones — Blossoms 
in  the  Desert — Nguana-Ngombe's  Confession  of  Faith — Visit  of  Mr. 
Selous — "  Lost  Whites  " 310 


CHAPTER  XX 

A  Visit  to  Lealuyi — Famine  at  the  Capital — A  Memorable  Pitso — The 
King  proposes  to  place  the  Country  under  British  Protection — A 
Storm — Liomba  the  Scapegoat — Mme.  Coillard  and  the  Barotsi 
Women — The  King's  Daughters  as  Mission  Pupils — Difficulties  of 
Evangelisation — Departure  of  Aaron,  Levi,  and  M.  Goy — Alone  at 
Sefula — Mad  Dogs 326 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  Serious  Talk  with  Levvanika— Queen  Mokvvae — Ex-queen  Maibiba — 
At  Death's  Door — Improvement  in  the  School — Sickness  and  Mor- 
tality— Hostility  at  Nalolo — Break-up  of  the  School — The  Mokvve 
Tunga  and  his  Troubles — Nalolo  to  Lealuyi — The  Nalikuanda — A 
Prodigal's  Return — Losses  of  Cattle — A  Mining  Concession     .        .     342 

CHAPTER  XXII 

A  Journey  from  Sefula  to  Sesheke — Nalolo  and  Queen  Mokwae— A  Hard 
Soil — How  to  reach  the  Zambesi  Women — Seoma— An  Anniversary 
— Entertainments  at  the  Bivouac — Sesheke— Kazungula — A  Con- 
ference— The  Return — Unpacking  Cases — A  Letter  from  Lewanika     358 

CHAPTER  XXIII 

Still  alone  at  Sefula — The  School — Nyondothe  Moshukulumboe — Litia, 
the  Heir-apparent — A  Sale  of  Books— Lewanika's  Efforts  to  put 
down  Crime— The  Canal  begun — New  Year's  School  Feast — Royal 
Visitors — A  Picnic — First  Concession  to  the  British  South  African 
Company — "The  evil  that  you  hinder" — Prohibition  of  Slave-dealing 
and  Intoxicants — M.  Adolphejalla — Nguana-Ngombe's  Baptism — A 
Visit  from  the  British  South  African  Company's  Agent — Native  In- 
trigues and  Suspicions — History  of  the  Negotiations — The  Treaty 
Signed — Terms  of  the  Concession — Delimitation  of  the  Barotsi 
Frontier — Khama's  Embassy — The  European  Mail — The  Station 
on  fire 373 


CONTENTS  XV 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

PAGE 

A  Journey  to  Sesheke — Losses  of  Cattle  and  Waggons — M.  Jeanmairet's 
Illness  and  Departure  for  Basuto-land — Arrival  of  Mile.  Kiener — 
Difficulty  of  Obtaining  Canoes — Kazungula — Death  of  the  Jallas' 
Second  Child^Litia's  Courage  and  Progress — The  Absence  of  the 
Marriage  Tie  among  the  Barotsi — Infanticide — The  Tyranny  of  Cus- 
tom— A  City  of  Refuge — Progress — An  Ox  to  sell — Return  to  Sefula 
— Difficulties  of  Transport — Litia's  Departure  for  Morija  .         .        .     392 


CHAPTER   XXV 

Dark  Days — Political  Calumnies — The  Floods — Narubutu  and  the  Con- 
servatives— Temporary  Capital  at  Sana — A  Royal  Water-party — 
Easter  Sunday — A  Visit  to  the  King  and  Queen — Revival  of  Thieving 
in  the  School — A  Sad  Story — A  Visit  from  the  Jallas — Levity  of  the 
Zambesians — A  Hunting  Expedition — Death  of  the  Only  Horse — A 
Clever  Thief  and  his  Punishment — "  Alexander  the  Coppersmith  " — 
The  Primitive  Methodist  Mission — "The  Terror  of  the  King  "  .    406 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

The  Death  of  Mme.  Coillard — Her  Last  Visit  to  the  Capital— Litia's  Con- 
fession of  Faith — Her  Last  Illness — "  Do  be  in  earnest,  do  !  " — The 
Burial-place — Sympathy  ot  the  Barotsi — The  Firstfruits  of  the 
Harvest — A  Little  Slave-boy — Nyondo — Queen  Victoria  confirms 
the  Agreement  of  the  Chartered  Company — A  Deficit      .         .        .     427 

CHAPTER   XXVII 

De  Profitndis — A  Visit  to  Lealuyi — The  Yellow  Heart  of  the  Barotsi — 
Painful  Defections  —  Dr.  Johnston  —  Arrival  of  Paulus — The 
Methodist  Mission — A  Thunderstorm — Plan  for  a  Station  at  the 
Capital — An  Appeal 439 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

Rays  of  Comfort — Disappearance  of  "Alexander  the  Coppersmith" — 
Degrading  Superstition — The  Primitive  Methodists — Sympathy — 
A  Reminiscence  of  Mme.  Coillard — The  Joy  of  Pentecost — "  En- 
quirers " — Ten  Men  wanted 453 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

Distresses  and  Deliverances — In  a  Canoe  to  Lealuyi — Good  Reception 
— Military  Ceremonies — A  Camp  Meeting — Sunday  at  the  Capital — 
A  Slave  Market— How  long  ? 462 


XVi  CONTENTS 

PART    IV 

LE  ALU  YI 

1892 — 1896 

CHAPTER  XXX 

PAGE 

Lealuyi  at  last — A  Double  Anniversary — The  Fourth  Station  founded— 
The  Small-pox— The  Kingdom  of  Darkness — The  Plagues  of  Egypt 
— The  Fighting-ants — Lewanika's  Vacillations— The  Stations  boy- 
cotted— The  Blockade  raised — Warriors  decorated  ....     477 

CHAPTER   XXXI 

The  Interdict  withdrawn— A  Coup  d'Etat — Warriors  decorated — Build- 
ing Operations — Lewanika's  Skill  in  Handicrafts — Christmas  at 
Sefula — A  Hurricane— Mashukulumboe-land  opened  to  the  Gospel 
—Painful  Defections — Litia  and  Andreas — Mackay  of  Uganda — 
"  Quit  you  like  men  " 493 

CHAPTER  XXXII 

Clearances  at  Loatile — Forced  Sales — A  Royal  Bargainer — A  New  Boy- 
cott— The  League  of  Prayer — A  Final  Victory — Women  attending 
Church  at  last — Opening  of  the  School — Course  of  Instruction— The 
Church — The  Causeway — Mokwae's  Magic  Sovereign— Emulation 
— Mr.  Waddell's  Devotion — Lay-helpers 506 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 

The  Mail  lost — The  Primitive  Methodist  Missionaries— Absence  of 
Skilled  or  Unskilled  Labour — Procuring  Thatch — Construction  of 
the  Causeway — The  Bridge — Termites  again — An  Important  Ques- 
tion of  Fashion  in  Beads — The  Rainy  Season — The  Water-supply — 
The  Abyssinian  Well — A  Terrible  Disappointment — The  Matabele 
Invasion — Faint-hearted  Patriots 5^8 

CHAPTER   XXXIV 

Fall  of  the  Matabele  Kingdom — Levity  of  the  Barotsi — A  Royal  Weather- 
cock— House-to-House  Visitations — Prisoners — A  Sad  Story — 
Queen  Mokwae's  Visit — A  Lesson  in  Good  Manners — Ilfautsouffrir 


CONTENTS  XVll 


PAGE 


pour  etre  ^J"^//^— Dedication  of  the  Church — A  Festival — Lewanika's 
Oratory — The  King  as  a  School  Inspector — A  School  Treat — Drastic 
Discipline — The, Chief  Sinde — The  Great  Flood — Matbidis — Flight 
of  the  Natives — Their  Return — The  Goliath  of  Paganism  .        .     532 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

Arrival  of  M.  and  Mine.  Beguin — Conference  at  Kazungula — Hopeful 
^  Prospects — Journey  from  the  Capital  to  Kazungula — Projected 
»3  Journey  to  Basuto-land — An  Appeal  for  Medical  Missionaries — 
Sixtieth  Birthday — The  Victoria  Falls — The  Plain  on  Fire — Sefula 
forsaken — An  Awakening  of  Consciences  at  last — Levvanika  and  his 
Converted  Wife — Hindrances  in  starting  for  Basuto-land — Inaugura- 
tion of  the  Station  at  Nalolo — The  Waggon  breaks  down — Renun- 
ciation of  the  Journey — A  Work  of  God — Litia's  Prefecture  at 
Kazungula — His  Repentance 552 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

A  Parish  Visitation — The  King's  Mother — Two  Staunch  Conservatives — 
The  Resurrection — Wina  and  the  Question  of  Polygamy — Hugging 
their  Chains — A  Royal  Baby — A  Little  Prisoner  —  Photography 
under  Difficulties — Nyondo's  Wedding — Christian  v.  Heathen  Mar- 
riage— Paulus's  Zeal  outruns  Discretion — "  Before  Governors  and 
Kings  " — The  Christians  acquitted — Sickness — The  Water-supply — 
The  Bible  School  begun — The  New  Year 570 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

The  Drought— Medical  Missions — M.  and  Mme.  B6guin  at  Nalolo — A 
Visit  to  Sefula— Locusts— The  Return  of  a  Prodigal  (Mokamba)— 
A  Bible-woman — A  Real  Awakening — Average  Rainfall — Royal 
Pretensions 532 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

A  Missionary  Exploration— Liomba  (Mokamba's)  Escort — Katuramoa 

The  Oracle— A  Sturdy  Protest— Libonda— Memories  of  Livingstone 
—A  Little  Missionary— Lepakag — The  King's  Messengers— Horn- 
less Cattle— The  Mamboe  Tribe— A  "Son  of  Thunder  "—The 
King's  Canal — Confluence  of  the  Kabombo — Bread  upon  the  Waters 
—Customs  of  the  Balunda  and  Balubale— Siyonda— The  Chief 
Sinde— His  Hospitality— A  Halt  at  Mosoandunga's— The  Rapids  of 

b 


xviii  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


Sapuma — Short  Commons  —  An  Inhospitable  Neighbourhood — 
Kakenge's— A  Rude  Reception— Famine— A  Trial  of  Faith— A 
Wonderful  Deliverance — Tragi-comedy— Conversion  of  Boatmen — 
Return  to  Lealuyi 593 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 

Serious  Illness — A  Journey  South — Levvanika's  Farewell — Death  of 
Seonyi— MM.  Gibbons,  Reid,  and  Bertrand— A  Retrospect — A 
Grave  in  the  Wilderness — Bulavvayo — A  Contrast— A  Forecast — The 
Matabele  Rising — The  Rinderpest — Maleking— Kimbcrley—  Cape 
Colony — The  Dutch  Mission— 7// 6'  Druinmond  Castle — Farewell  to 
Africa ...     619 

Conclusion 633 

Glossary 649 

Index 655 


LIST    OF     ILLUSTRATIONS 


PORTRAIT    OF    F.    COILLARD     ..... 

CHRISTINA    COILLARD    (nEE    MACKINTOSH)       . 

THE    CARAVAN    IN    THE    MAKARI-KARI    DESERT 

THE   CAMP,    NEAR    HARRYSMITH      .... 

ON    THE    LIMPOPO    (cROCODILE)    RIVER 

SUNRISE    IN    THE    DESERT 

THE    MISSION    PARTY,    MAY    18S4    .... 

CROSSING   THE    MARICO    (m.\LIKOE)    RIVER      . 

A    NEW    SORT    OF   TE.\M 

A    MOSARO.\    OR    BUSH Jl AN 

LESHOMA — A    MARKET    DAY    ..... 

MAS.\TOANE — A    CHIEF    OF    SESHEKE 

FALLS    OF    NGONYE,    UPPER    ZAMBESI 

AKUFUNA    (TATIRA),    THE    USURPER 

MATHAHA    (SEFANO),    THE    REBEL    ClllCr 

LESHOMA — M.    JEANMAIREt's    SCHOOL     . 

QUEEN    MOKWAE — SLAVES    BRINGING    HER    FOOD      . 

LEWANIKA    and    his    CHIEF   WIFE    MA-MORAMEO.\    (1886 

THE    YOUNG    MORANTSIANE 

SEFULA — MR.    WADDELL    AND    HIS    UNWELCOME    VISITOR 

THE     LEKHOTHLA     AT     LEALUYI  — MATOLELA     BRINGING     TRI 
THE    KING       . 


BAROTSI    WARRIORS    ON    THE    WAR-PATU 
BREAD-M.\KING       ..... 
A    CROCODILE    OF   THE    UPPER    ZAMBESI 
LIOMBA 


"NALIKUANDa" — THE    STATE    BARGE     . 
CARRYING   CANOES    PAST    THE    RAPIDS   OF    SEOMA  , 

xix 


Frontispiece 
Facing'  pnge 


I 

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163 

169 

17s 
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224 
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256 

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354 
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XX 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


MR.    WALL   AND    HIS    BUFFALO 
RAPIDS   OF   NGAMBOE,    UPPER    ZAMBESI 
ON    THE    ZAMBESI,    BELOW    NGONYE    FALLS 

"  NALIKUANDA  " A    ROYAL    PROGRESS  . 

GRAVE    OF    MADAME    COILLARD,    SEFULA 

SEFULA — MR.    WADDELL   AND    THE    BOYS    AT   WORK 

A    SACRED    PLACE — A    ROYAL    TOMB    AT    LIRUNDU,    NEAR    LEALUYI 

HOME   OF   A    MAKUENGO    FAMILY — A    BUSHMAN    TRIBE     . 

RAPIDS    OF   SAPUMA . 

KAZUNGULA — THE    MISSION    STATION       ...... 

AT    NALOLO — THE    QUEEN's    BARGE,    AND    SITE    OF    MISSION    STATION 
KABAKO    RIVER — RAPIDS    ABOVE    THE    FALLS  .... 

KABAKO    FALLS — TRIBUTARY    OF   THE    ZAMBESI,    RIGHT    BANK 
VILLAGE    OF    BALUNDA    TRIBE,    SHOWING    HUTS    AND    GRANARIES     . 
THE    CHIEF    KAKENGE — SLAVE    PRESENTING   SNUFF-BOX 
LEWANIKA    AND    HIS    CHIEF   WIFE  ...... 


Facing  page 
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529 

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604 

615 
636 


MAP. 


MAP   OF    SOUTH   AFRICA 


646 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  banyan  tree  is  the  true  emblem  of  the  Church  of  God. 
Each  one  of  its  mighty  branches  bears  roots ;  each  root 
that  touches  the  soil,  and  grows  there,  becomes  a  new  trunk, 
which  in  its  own  time  must  spread  its  branches  farther,  and 
strike  new  roots. 

If  the  Church's  mission  begins,  and  shouldheg\n,  at  Jerusalem, 
it  must  not  stop  short  there.  Her  movements  are  always 
tending  farther  and  farther  afield  ;  her  aspirations  are  ever 
towards  the  "  regions  beyond,"  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth ;  her  spirit  is  the  spirit  of  conquest  and  aggression. 
"  Forward  !  forward ! "  is  her  never-changing  motto. 

Never  has  the  Church  grasped  this  more  thoroughly  than 
to-day.  Modern  missions  sufficiently  proclaim  that.  And  what 
inspires  us  personally  with  joy  and  confidence  is  less  the  actual 
and  immediate  result  which  can  be  tabulated,  than  the  spirit 
of  reproduction  and  extension  which  animates  the  missions 
themselves.  That  has  its  root  in  the  nature  of  things.  It  is 
the  essential  condition  of  vitality.  Woe  to  us  who  conduct 
them,  woe  to  the  missions  themselves,  if  we  hold  them  too  long 
in  leading-strings,  and  if,  kept  thus  in  an  abnormal  childhood, 
they  lose  the  power  of  independent  action  and  of  responsibility  ! 
Their  members  acquire  a  false  conscience,  their  development 
is  blighted,  and  the  moment  their  guardians  are  removed  they 
are  condemned  to  dwindle  and — disappear  themselves. 

Perhaps  this  education  presents  peculiar  difficulties  among 
the  natives  of  South  Africa.  Certain  it  is  that  among  them, 
unhappily,  it  has  not  assumed  those  proportions  which  astonish 
us  among  the  South  Sea  islanders  and  elsewhere.  This  is  due 
in  part  to  the  local  circumstances,  to  the  immigration  of  the 


xxii  INTRODUCTION  [1833 

white  man,  which  undoubtedly  changes  the  conditions  of  exist- 
2ncc.  But  it  is  due  also  in  part  to  a  certain  reserve  in  the 
confidence  we  bestow  on  our  still  infant  Churches,  and  in  their 
members,  who  have  so  recently  emerged  from  the  slough  of 
heathenism.  Perhaps,  too,  we  shrink  from  the  personal  responsi- 
bility of  straying  from  the  beaten  track. 

Yet  which  of  us  does  not  reiterate — sincerely  reiterate — 
the  utterance,  th&t,  if  ever  Africa  is  to  be  evangelised,  it  must 
be  by  her  own  children  !  What  is  so  far  only  a  beautiful  theory 
ought  to  become  ?i practice.  Our  Churches  and  our  Christians 
must  send  out  missionaries.  There,  as  in  Europe,  that  is  the 
thermometer  of  religious  life.  To  give,  and  give  oneself  in  the 
spirit  of  Him  Who  loves  us  and  gave  Himself  for  us — that  is 
its  essence. 

The  following  pages  form  an  account  of  a  humble  effort 
in  this  direction.  Up  to  what  point  the  attempt  has  succeeded, 
it  is  for  the  reader  to  judge. 

The  Banyalf  Expedition,  which  eventually  led  to  the  founding 
of  the  Barotsi  Mission,  was  proposed  and  undertaken  by  the 
native  Christians  of  Basuto-land — a  fact  which  must  never  be 
lost  sight  of  in  following  its  history. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  why,  when  France  has  such 
extensive  colonies  of  her  own,  the  French  Protestant  missionaries 
are  found  labouring  in  British  colonies.  The  answer  is  two- 
fold. First,  that,  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  century, 
the  Protestants  of  France  were  prohibited  from  missionary 
work  in  their  own  colonies.  Secondly,  that  the  two  fields 
they  now  occupy  within  the  British  sphere  of  influence  were 
not  under  the  protection  of  any  European  power  when  they 
first  entered  upon  their  labours.  About  1830,  a  wave  of 
missionary  interest  swept  over  the  Reformed  Churches  of 
France.  But  where  should  they  find  a  field?  While  they 
were  discussing  this  question,  they  received  an  appeal  from 
Dr.  Philip,  of  the  L.M.S.  in  Cape  Town,  to  which  they  at 
once  responded  ;  and  this  led  to  the  establishment  of  the 
Basuto  Mission,  at  the  request  of  Moshesh,  the  supreme  chief 

Of  the  three  French  missionaries  who  came  to  Basuto- 
land    in     1833,   0"s    name    stands    out    pre-eminently — that   of 


i865l  INTRODUCTION  xxiii 

M.  Arbousset.  The  more  his  work  and  character  are  studied, 
the  greater  the  reverence  they  inspire.  He  belonged  to  that 
race  of  giants  whose  exploits  in  tkc  first  half  of  the  century 
have  shed  such  lustre  on  our  African  missions.  He  possessed 
in  a  rare  degree  the  gift  of  evangelisation,  and  of  communi- 
cating it  from  the  very  first  to  the  native  Christians.  In  his 
flock,  men  always  formed  a  remarkable  proportion  of  the 
congregation  ;  and  each  of  them,  in  his  own  degree  and 
capacity,  took  a  share  in  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel.  Not 
content  with  this  home  mission,  M.  Arbousset  more  than 
once  sent  his  catcchists  for  short  excursions  on  foot,  with  a 
baggage  animal  for  their  provisions,  to  spend  an  indefinite 
time  among  the  Bapeli,  in  the  country  now  known  as  the 
Transvaal. 

Some  of  these  catechists  had  been  noted  warriors  before 
their  conversion  :  their  consciences  were  burdened  with  the 
depredations  they  had  made  upon  these  same  tribes,  and 
they  wanted  to  atone  to  them  by  bringing  them  the  Gospel 
of  Peace.  Later  on,  in  1863,  Isaiah  Seele  went,  with  the 
approbation  of  all  the  missionaries.  Seele  was  a  man  of  high 
social  position,  of  rare  intelligence  and  remarkable  character  ; 
he  spoke  French  and  English  and  several  native  languages, 
and  possessed  an  extensive  knowledge  of  medicine.  He  spent 
several  years  evangelising  those  tribes  among  whom  the  Berlin 
Society  of  Missions  has  since  founded  and  carried  on  a  pros- 
perous work.  Many  of  these  tribesmen  were  in  the  habit 
of  passing  through  Basuto-land  on  their  way  to  and  from 
Cape  Colony,  whither  they  went  to  earn  money  and  buy 
guns.  Thus  they  had  seen  .something  of  the  benefits  of 
missions,  and  their  chiefs  were  willing  and  even  anxious  to 
have  permanent  stations. 

But  this  movement  was  checked  by  the  long  and  disastrous 
wars  of  the  Orange  Free  State  with  the  Basuto.  In  1865, 
all  the  French  Protestant  missionaries  were  expelled  from  the 
country,  ourselves  among  the  number.  The  only  exception 
was  the  one  at  Thaba  Bossiou,  a  stronghold  which  the  Boers 
had  not  been  able  to  take.  Armed  men  brought  waggons 
to  our  door,  and  carried  us  off  in  such  haste  that  Mme.  Coillard 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION  [1886 

had  not  even  time  to  take  her  bread  from  the  oven !  It  was 
with  very  heavy  hearts  that,  bidding  good-bye  to  our  weeping 
flock,  we  set  out,  exiles  from  our  only  home  on  earth,  and 
followed  the  waggons,  where  they  had  hurriedly  piled  up  our 
property.  The  church  bell,  carelessly  packed,  sounded  a 
funeral  knell  all  along  the  road.  "  Make  the  best  of  it," 
said  the  commandant,  M,  de  Villiers,  who  was  a  personal 
friend  of  mine,  and  who  did  his  best  to  cheer  us  up  in  his 
own  way.  "Leave  nothing  behind,  for  you  will  never  come 
back  here." 

So  the  Government  of  Orange  Free  State  had  decreed ; 
but  the  Master  we  served  had  ordained  otherwise,  for  three 
years  later,  in  1868,  when  Basuto-land  became  a  British  colony, 
we  did  come  back.  We  had  spent  part  of  the  interval  in 
Natal,  working  with  the  American  missionaries  among  the 
Zulu,  and  gaining  a  knowledge  of  the  language,  which,  later 
on,  was  to  be  of  the  utmost  service  to  us. 

It  was  during  this  forced  exile  of  their  pastors  that  the 
Basuto  Christians  awoke  to  a  sense  of  their  individual  responsi- 
bility, and  gave  themselves  up  to  preaching  the  Gospel  most 
zealously,  and  with  remarkable  results.  On  their  return,  the 
missionaries,  who  had  suffered  so  bitterly  at  being  torn  from 
their  field  of  labour,  found  it  completely  transformed.  It  was 
a  garden  which  the  Lord  had  watered  and  blessed. 

Their  first  care  was  to  organise  and  consolidate  the  move- 
ment. They  selected  among  the  Christians  those  whom  they 
judged  most  worthy  of  confidence,  placed  them  here  and  there 
as  evangelists,  and  began  to  cover  Basuto-land  with  a  network  of 
stations,  which  have  gone  on  multiplying  year  by  year  ever  since. 

It  was  impossible  that  religious  life  should  thus  develop 
among  the  Christians  without  their  desiring  to  spread  still 
farther  the  Name  of  Jesus ;  and  this  missionary  spirit  was 
ardently  fostered  by  my  friend  Mabille,  the  worthy  successor 
of  M.  Arbousset.  Before  long  their  spiritual  and  material 
prosperity  had  alike  reached  such  a  pitch,  that  they  desired  once 
more  to  send  native  catechists  to  other  heathen  tribes,  and  to 
equip  and  maintain  them.  This  gave  the  first  impulse  to  the 
Banyai"  Expedition. 


i^7o]  INTRODUCTION  XXV 

But  whither  should  they  carry  the  Gospel?  The  Berlin 
Society  had  asked  and  obtained  permission  from  the  Boer 
Government  to  carry  on  work  in  its  territories  among  the 
tribes  they  had  previously  visited,  and  it  became  necessary  to 
look  farther  afield.  Accordingly,  M.  Mabille,  accompanied  by 
M.  Berthoud,  went  on  an  exploration  in  the  extreme  north  of  the 
Transvaal,  with  a  view  to  finding  there  a  field  for  the  Mission 
de  la  Suisse  Vaudoise,  of  which  MM.  Berthoud  and  Creux 
were  the  pioneers.  They  left  the  Basuto  catechists  Eliakim 
and  Asser  among  the  Magwamba  tribe.  Others  afterwards 
joined  them,  and  together  they  carried  on  a  work  of  perse- 
verance and  devotion,  of  which  the  Swiss  missions  have  since 
reaped  the  blessed  fruits. 

The  station  of  Goedgcdacht,  in  the  Zoutpansberg  Mountains, 
was  occupied  at  this  time  by  Mr.  Hofmeyr,  the  first  missionary 
ever  sent  out  by  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  the  Cape. 
He,  like  M.  Mabille,  was  an  ardent  evangelist ;  and  a  year  or  two 
later,  by  their  joint  advice,  Asser,  the  leader  of  the  Basuto 
catechists,  undertook  a  missionary  exploration  in  the  Banyai 
country,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Zimbabye.  He  started  in 
1874,  accompanied  by  Jonathan,  from  the  Leribe  Church,  and 
two  members  of  Mr.  Hofmcyr's  flock. 

Asser  was  a  very  remarkable  man,  for  a  native.  He  had 
the  true  pioneering  spirit,  and  would  not  allow  any  hindrance, 
sickness,  or  danger  to  turn  him  back  or  break  up  his  little  band. 
Moreover,  he  kept  a  regular  diary,  in  which  he  noted  not  only 
their  adventures,  but  the  hours  and  distance  of  their  travelling, 
the  water-holes,  names  of  chiefs,  and  similar  details,  important 
for  the  future.  His  report  was  that  three  great  chiefs  gladly 
gave  full  assent  to  the  coming  of  missionaries,  and  had  at  once 
chosen  sites  for  the  stations.  Some  of  the  BanyaT  had,  on 
hearing  the  Gospel,  found  a  striking  analogy  to  one  of  their 
ancient  traditions— namely,  that  the  son  of  one  of  their  great 
chiefs  had  disappeared  mysteriously,  and  that  every  tenth  day 
ought  to  be  observed  among  them  in  his  memory  until  he  should 
come  back.  They  also  shaved  their  heads  at  the  new  moon  in 
his  honour.  He  added  :  "  The  Banyai  cultivate  maize,  rice,  etc. 
Very  industrious,  but  they  say  they  never  zvash  themselves!^ 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION  [1875 

Asser's  return  to  Basuto-land  in  May  1875  was  the  electric 
spark  which  kindled  into  flame  the  missionary  zeal  of  his 
fellow-Christians  there.  It  would  be  difficult  to  exaggerate  the 
effect  of  his  addresses.  "  Ah  !  why  could  I  not  cut  off  my  arms 
and  legs,"  he  cried,  "  and  make  every  limb  of  mine  a  missionary 
to  these  poor  Banyai  ! "  At  one  memorable  meeting,  an  old 
man  rose  at  the  back  of  the  church.  "  Enough  of  talking," 
he  said ;  "  let  us  do  something."  And,  advancing  to  the 
communion  table,  he  put  down  a  modest  half-crown.  The 
impetus  had  been  given.  The  whole  assembly  followed  his 
example  ;  and  the  movement  spread  to  all  the  other  stations. 
On  a  Communion  Day  one  saw  men,  women,  and  children,  even 
babies  at  their  mothers'  breast,  pressing  reverently  round  the 
communion  table  to  lay  down  their  offerings.  The  sum  of 
;^500  was  raised  in  a  very  short  time,  without  counting  quantities 
of  cattle,  great  and  small.  The  Missionary  Conference  could 
no  longer  hesitate.  At  its  next  session,  in  August  of  the  same 
year,  the  mission  was  unanimously  decided  upon.  The  money 
found,  the  men  offered  themselves.  Four  were  chosen,  and 
they  at  once  prepared  to  start  with  their  families. 

While  these  outward  events  were  in  progress,  circumstances 
were  taking  place  unobserved  which  had  far-reaching  and 
undreamt-of  effects  upon  the  future  of  the  mission.  Several  of 
us,  especially  my  friend  Mabillc  and  myself,  were  feeling  dis- 
satisfied with  the  state  of  things  in  our  respective  congregations: 
there  were  few  conversions  from  among  the  heathen ;  and 
though  there  seemed  plenty  of  zeal  among  the  converts,  we 
were  conscious  it  was  not  all  spiritual  energy.  Just  at  this 
time,  we  received  a  visit  from  Major  Malan,  whose  name  is 
affectionately  remembered  by  many  both  in  England  and  South 
Africa.  He  was  the  grandson  of  Caesar  Malan,  of  Geneva. 
Having  resigned  his  commission  in  the  British  army  in  order 
to  devote  himself  more  freely  to  the  service  of  the  King  of 
kings,  he  had  undertaken  a  tour  among  the  South  African 
missions  ;  and  God  made  use  of  him  as  a  channel  of  the 
greatest  blessing.  His  journey  through  Basuto-land  was  the 
occasion  of  a  fresh  revival.  He  did  great  good  to  us  poor 
labourers  as  well,  choked  with  the  dust  of  our  clods,  as  is  so 


1875]  INTRODUCTION  xxvii 

often  the  case,  alas  !  and  he  bestowed  on  us  an  affection  which 
wc  cordially  returned. 

Later  on,  at  his  instigation,  a  great  " consecration  meeting" 
was  convened  at  King  William's  Town.  Mabille  and  myself 
urged  by  a  common  need,  resolved  to  make  the  journey,  of  over 
three  hundred  miles,  on  horseback,  in  order  to  be  present  at  it. 

The  subjects  were  : — 

isf  day. — Christ — Emmanuel.     "  In  Him  dwelleth  all  the 

fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily." 
2nd  day. — Ourselves — believers.      "  Ye  are  complete   in 

Him." 
3;'^  day. — The  necessary  consequence  of  these  two  facts 

— complete  consecration  to  God.    "  Your  bodies  .  .  . 

a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable   unto  Him,  which 

is  your  reasonable  service." 

To  Mabille  and  myself  it  was  more  than  a  spiritual  feast  ; 
it  was  a  revelation.  There  we  approached  the  sunlit  summits, 
the  Tabor  of  Christian  life,  which  had  always  been  represented 
to  us  as  inaccessible  :  we  had,  as  it  were,  a  vision  of  the  Lord. 
It  seemed  to  us  that  we  had  never  given  ourselves,  that  we  did 
not  even  know  the  A  B  C  of  renunciation,  and  we  were  haunted 
by  the  sense  of  this. 

On  the  other  hand,  our  project  of  extending  the  mission, 
which  everywhere  attracted  attention  and  interest,  occupied  a 
very  large  place  in  our  thoughts.  It  was  the  one  theme  of 
our  conversation  as  we  rode  back  with  our  honoured  friend, 
for  Major  Malan  was  specially  interested  in  mission  work  by 
native  agency.  One  day,  we  were  crossing  the  River  Key,  and 
climbing  the  slope,  when,  in  obedience  to  an  irresistible  impulse, 
we  all  three  sprang  from  our  horses,  knelt  in  the  shadow  of  a 
bush  I  still  see  before  me,  and,  taking  each  other  as  witnesses, 
we  offered  ourselves  individually  to  the  Lord  for  the  new 
mission — an  act  of  deep  solemnity  which  made  us  all  brothers- 
in-arms.  Immediately  we  remounted.  Major  Malan  waved  his 
hat,  spurred  his  horse,  and  galloped  up  the  hill,  calling  out, 
'  Three  soldiers  ready  to  conquer  Africa ! " 

Mabille  and  I  said  to  each  other,  "  We  are  the  soldiers  :  he 


XXviii  INTRODUCTION  [1876 

i.s  an  officer — one  of  the  '  thirty '  perhaps,  Hke  David's  mighty 
men.     But,  by  God's  grace,  we  will  be  true  till  death." 

And  we  meant  it.  That  marked  a  new  era  in  our  Christian 
life,  and  was,  in  so  far  as  we  were  concerned,  the  true  origin 
of  the  Barotsi  Mission. 

On  our  return,  in  the  autumn  of  1875,  the  Banyai"  Expedition 
was  preparing  to  start.  We  had  at  first  intended  to  send  our 
native  missionaries  alone.  But  the  Transvaal  Government,  which 
had  got  wind  of  it,  opposed  their  passage,  on  the  ground  that  the 
Basuto,  coming  as  foreigners  among  the  BanyaT,  might  stir  up 
trouble  on  their  northern  frontiers.  Upon  this,  it  was  decided 
that  one  of  us  should  escort  them.  But  which  one  ?  Mabille 
urged  that  he  should  be  sent,  but  the  Conference  could  not 
agree  to  this,  in  view  of  the  important  position  he  held,  not 
only  as  pastor  and  evangelist  of  a  large  district,  but  as  the  head 
of  the  Training  School  for  Evangelists  at  Morija.  Instead, 
it  accepted  the  offer  of  a  newly  arrived  missionary,  young, 
unmarried,  and  as  yet  without  a  definite  post.  This  was 
M.  Dieterlen.  His  character  as  much  as  his  talents  inspired 
us  with  the  greatest  confidence,  which  subsequent  events  amply 
justified. 

The  third  General  Synod  of  our  Churches  took  place  at 
Leribe  from  the  5th  to  the  nth  of  April,  1876.  Seventy-eight 
delegates,  besides  the  missionaries  and  catechists  themselves, 
represented  the  various  Churches.  Large  numbers  of  native 
Christians,  too,  came  together  from  all  parts  of  the  country, 
even  from  other  Churches  in  Kaffraria  and  elsewhere,  some  of 
whom  brought  us  tangible  proofs  of  their  interest  in  the  form 
of  subscriptions,  besides  their  messages  of  encouragement  and 
brotherly  affection.  Even  the  heathen  chiefs  could  not  remain 
indifferent  to  this  great  demonstration,  and  the  British  authorities 
of  the  country  did  not  fail  to  come  and  bring  us  their  good  wishes. 

It  was  under  these  happy  auspices  that,  after  numerous  and 
deeply  impressive  meetings,  we  commended  our  pioneers,  our 
dear  brother  Dieterlen  and  his  four  companions  with  their 
families,  to  the  Lord's  keeping.  We  were  bidding  them  farewell 
in  the  very  place  whence  in  bygone  days  bands  of  marauding 
cannibals  used  to  scour  the  country,  and  whence  at  the  head 


1876]  INTRODUCTION  XXIX 

of  his  clan  emigrated  the  chief  Sebetoane,  the  founder  of  the 
Makololo  kingdom  on  the  Upper  Zambesi.  Survivors  of  those 
days  were  present,  some  converted,  some  still  heathen,  to  see 
their  fellow-countrymen,  equipped  by  the  freewill  offerings  of 
other  native  Christians,  going  forth  on  a  mission  of  peace. 
It  was  a  striking  object  lesson,  and  representatives  from  every 
part  of  the  tribe  were  there  to  witness  it. 

Who  would  have  believed  that,  scarcely  a  month  later,  this 
expedition  would  come  to  an  abrupt  end  in  the  prison  of  a 
civilised  and  Christian  state  ?  Yet  so  it  was  ;  and  this  is  the 
story  of  the  disaster. 

M.  Dieterlen  had  started  at  the  end  of  April  1876.  He  had 
expected  some  custom-house  delays  on  the  frontier,  but,  meeting 
with  none,  passed  on  to  Pretoria,  which  the  waggons  traversed 
in  broad  daylight  without  being  stopped.  Two  days  later, 
May  1 0th,  they  were  arrested  at  nightfall  by  two  field-cornets, 
the  women  and  children  sent  to  a  farm  several  miles  away,  the 
waggons  and  goods  confiscated  and  searched,  the  men  taken 
back  to  Pretoria  and  imprisoned,  one  in  the  condemned  cell. 
Owing  to  the  kindness  of  a  German  missionary,  Mr.  Griineberger, 
who  bailed  him  out  for  ^^300,  M.  Dieterlen  was  free  to  plead 
for  the  release  of  his  companions.  They  were  accused  of  carry- 
ing contraband,  but  this  was  proved  not  to  be  the  case  ;  and 
the  officials  then  said  they  did  not  care  to  have  French  mis- 
sionaries settled  north  of  the  Limpopo.  M.  Dieterlen  pointed 
out  that  they  had  no  jurisdiction  over  those  territories,  and  that 
no  white  traveller  had  ever  yet  been  asked  for  a  passport.  "  Do 
you  know  what  our  intentions  are  ?  Do  you  know  what  treaties 
we  may  have  made  with  the  natives  or  the  Portuguese  ?  "  asked 
the  official.  They  were  ordered  to  leave  instantly,  on  pain 
of  confiscation  and  imprisonment.  M.  Dieterlen,  who  acted 
throughout  with  the  utmost  courage  and  discretion,  tried  every 
expedient  to  move  the  Government,  but  in  vain.  After  being 
fined  £14  ("costs"),  he  was  allowed  to  take  his  waggons,  and 
the  catechists  were  released  after  two  nights  and  a  day  of 
imprisonment. 

It  is  only  fair  to  say  that  many  of  the  Transvaal  burghers 
expressed  their  sympathy  with  the  young  missionary  and  his 


XXX  INTRODUCTION  [1876 

companions  ;  and  indeed  the  kindness  shown  to  the  subsequent 
expeditions  by  all  the  Boers  they  met  sufficiently  proves  that 
this  treatment  was  only  the  work  of  a  small  political  clique, 
hostile  to  foreign  missions. 

This  unexpected  check  greatly  distressed  our  young  Churches, 
but  without  discouraging  them.  The  missionaries,  urged  to 
some  extent  by  their  flocks,  met  in  conference  at  Thaba 
Bossiou,  and  decided  not  to  abandon  the  enterprise.  The 
Transvaal  Government  itself  had  thought  better  of  it,  and  let 
us  know  indirectly  that  it  would  place  no  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  a  new  expedition,  provided  that  it  were  conducted  by  a  man 
in  whom  they  felt  confidence,  and  that  a  formal  declaration  of 
merchandise  were  made  to  the  authorities  on  entering  the 
territory  of  the  Republic. 

But  the  man — where  was  he  to  be  found  ?  M,  Dieterlen  had 
by  this  time  received  an  important  appointment  to  our  Normal 
School,  and  we  could  not  do  without  him.  And  then,  too,  we 
had  to  consider  the  susceptibilities  of  those  whose  consciences 
were  already  somewhat  ill  at  ease  on  his  account. 

For  such  a  delicate  and  difficult  mission  it  was  desired  that 
one  whose  views  had  long  been  well  known  should  offer  himself. 
But  he  had  not  offered  himself  the  previous  year,  neither  did 
he  do  so  now.  Before  "  running,"  he  felt  he  must  be  "  sent." 
Thereupon,  his  colleagues  unanimously  addressed  a  pressing 
appeal  to  him. 

What  follows  will  show  how  he  and  his  beloved  wife  obeyed 
this  appeal,  and  what  a  new  direction  this  angle  of  the  road, 
which  they  had  reached  so  suddenly,  was  to  give  to  their  lives. 

The  station  of  Leribe,  which  twenty  years  before  we  had 
been  called  upon  to  found,  was  an  advance  post  in  a  province 
which  the  old  inveterate  paganism,  elsewhere  considerably  under- 
mined, had  made  its  fortress.  It  was  ruled  by  an  intelligent 
chief,  Molapo,  a  man  of  iron  will,  but  long  a  renegade  from 
Christianity,  irascible  and  jealous  of  his  authority. 

Yet  in  spite  of  his  incessant  opposition,  our  labours  had  been 
blessed.  A  congregation,  small  in  numbers,  but  rich  in  faith 
and  works,  had  gradually  grown  up  around  us.  The  continual 
vexations,  often  amounting  to  persecutions,  to  which  we  and 


i877]  INTRODUCTION  xxxi 

they  were  alike  exposed,  had  specially  drawn  us  together.     We 
lived  with  them  and  for  them  ;  we  were  one  family. 

For  seventeen  years,  when  not  travelling,  we  had  lived  in 
temporary  and  very  primitive  abodes.  We  had  often  sighed 
for  something  better,  but  our  life  had  been  singularly  chequered 
and  adventurous.  During  the  last  year  or  two,  however,  our 
desires  had  been  satisfied.  Since  the  completion  of  our  beau- 
tiful stone-built  church,  we  had  been  able  to  attend  to  our  own 
dwelling.  We  now  inhabited  a  fine  spacious  house,  in  the  midst 
of  a  lovely  garden,  the  work  of  our  own  hands.  "  Shall  we  ever 
eat  of  it,  I  wonder?"  said  Mme.  Coillard  one  evening,  as  we 
were  walking  round  our  newly  planted  quince  hedge.  We 
never  did. 

Leribe,  nestling  in  the  shadow  of  its  great  mountain,  with 
its  picturesque  gorge  and  its  magnificent  panorama,  had  become 
an  ideal  station.  I  moved  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  district, 
making  frequent  evangelising  excursions,  riding  for  days  and 
weeks  together,  accompanied  by  the  young  men  of  my  flock, 
sharing  their  food,  sleeping  with  them  under  the  rocks  or 
in  hospitable  huts.  There  was  an  unspeakable  fascination  in 
this  life. 

Yes,  but  the  charm  must  needs  be  broken,  innocent  as  it 
was.  We  needed  another  discipline  in  the  Lord's  school ;  it 
was  His  will  that,  "  emptied  from  vessel  to  vessel,"  we  should 
learn  the  lesson  that  consecration,  a  true  and  full  consecration, 
is  not  a  mere  doctrine,  nor  yet  a  single  isolated  act,  but  the 
fabric,  the  very  principle  of  life.  Vague  presentiments  haunted 
us ;  for,  as  we  started,  my  beloved  wife  said,  not  without 
emotion,  "  We  have  weighed  anchor  ;  we  are  out  on  the  wide 
ocean  :  God  knows  where  we  shall  land.  But,"  she  added, 
with  happy  calm,  " '  He  knoweth  my  wanderings  ;  my  tears  are 
in  His  book.'  "  ^  And  when  we  saw  the  column  of  fire  rise,  there 
was  no  more  hesitation.  God  had  spoken,  "  Arise,  depart,  for 
this  is  not  your  rest "  ;  and  our  hearts  had  responded,  "  Lo, 
I  am  continually  with  Thee  ;  Thou  hast  holden  me  by  my  right 
hand ;  Thou  wilt  guide  me  by  Thy  counsel,  and  afterward 
receive  me  to  glory."  ^ 

1  Ps.  Ivi.  8.  »  Ps.  Ixxiii.  23,  24. 


xxxu 


INTRODUCTION  [1877 


Nor  were  we  alone.  Among  those  whose  watchful  care 
followed  and  surrounded  us,  my  two  friends — true  comrades — 
Major  Malan  and  Mabille  held  the  first  place.  They  envied 
the  post  assigned  me  in  the  mission  to  which  they  had  given 
themselves  equally  with  myself.  "  But  as  his  part  is  that 
goeth  down  to  the  battle,  so  is  his  part  that  tarrieth  by  the 
stuff."  ^  And  from  that  honourable  position  they  unfalteringly 
upheld  us. 

I  cannot  lay  too  much  stress  upon  the  fact  that  this  mission, 
springing  spontaneously  as  it  did  from  the  religious  life  of 
our  native  Christians,  could  not,  even  in  developing,  lose  all 
traces  of  its  origin.  The  natives,  indeed,  were  very  deter- 
mined about  this,  and  mingled  with  this  determination  a 
certain  presumption  natural  to  adolescence.  But,  in  spite  of 
this,  from  the  very  first  it  began  to  take  on  an  eclectic 
character,  which  it  has  ever  since  maintained.  This  was  partly 
owing  to  the  unlooked-for  wanderings  of  the  expedition, 
bringing  its  members  in  contact  with  various  other  agencies, 
both  political  and  religious,  which  all  helped  it  on.  But  it  was 
due,  in  the  first  place  and  above  all,  to  Major  Malan.  He  it 
was  who  aroused  for  it  the  interest  of  Christians,  both  black 
and  white,  in  almost  every  denomination  throughout  Cape 
Colony  and  Natal.  He  also  founded  an  association  in  England 
to  promote  South  African  missions  by  native  agency,  and 
edited  a  magazine  with  the  same  object  in  view.  He  believed 
in  the  mission,  and  through  all  its  phases  his  confidence  in 
God  was  always  the  same.  He  pleaded  with  God  for  it  in 
secret,  and  with  men  by  word  and  pen  ;  while  at  every  turn, 
at  every  check  and  disappointment,  he  was  ready  with  letters 
of  sympathy  and  encouragement,  and  substantial  help  from 
himself  or  his  friends.  His  ardent  faith  and  love,  which 
recognised  no  barriers  between  the  different  members  of  the 
One  Family,  won  many  friends  for  our  mission  in  England, 
and  especially  in  Scotland,  who  have  been  its  faithful  supporters 
ever  since.  In  a  word,  his  devotion  ceased  only  with  his  life  ; 
and  shortly  before  his  death,  already  in  the  grip  of  the  disease 
which  he  knew  would  soon  arrest  his  earthly  activities,  he  wrote 

'   I  Sam.  XXX.  24. 


1883]  INTRODUCTION  XXxHl 

to  me,  "  Don't  speak  about  it,  but  I  do  believe  God  will  after 
all  grant  me  my  heart's  desire,  and  let  me  go  and  join  you. 
'  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  He  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life.' " 

What  Major  Malan  was  in  Europe,  Mabille  was  in  Africa. 
By  evil  report  and  good  report,  when  we  were  borne  forward 
on  the  waves  of  popularity  and  enthusiasm,  and  when  we  had 
to  battle  against  the  current,  the  enterprise  almost  stranded, 
and  ourselves  abandoned,  criticised,  and  condemned  by  every 
one,  he  never  forsook  us.  He  was  one  of  those  true  and 
valiant  men  one  can  always  count  upon.  In  our  worst 
moments,  he  always  had  tender,  hopeful  words  for  us.  How 
many  times,  when  we  were  almost  overwhelmed,  has  God  not 
made  use  of  him  to  rekindle  our  courage !  It  was  not  that 
he  merely  interested  himself  in  the  mission  ;  it  was  his  own 
just  as  much  as  it  was  ours.  For  him  as  much  as  for  ourselves 
it  was  a  work  of  faith,  and  he  caused  it  to  be  known  and  loved 
everywhere  through  the  magazine  he  edited.  La  Petite  Lnniiere 
(in  Lessouto,  which  circulates  so  widely  among  the  natives  of 
South  Africa. 

When,  in  1883,  I  preached  my  farewell  sermon  at  his  church, 
he  said  to  me,  as  I  was  entering  the  pulpit,  "  Speak,  and  the 
Lord  bless  thee.  And  if  the  best  of  my  catechists  should 
respond  to  the  appeal,  remember  I  give  him  gladly."  As  we 
came  out,  he  said,  "  Yes,  God  Jias  asked  for  my  best ;  it  is 
Levi.  Ah  well  !  I  did  not  expect  it  ;  but — Jie  shall  go."  And 
from  that  time  forth  the  evangelists  of  the  Zambesi  Mission 
were  recruited  almost  always  from  his  Church  or  his  Bible 
School  at  Morija.     From  first  to  last,  he  never  failed  us. 

Our  hearts  were  knit  like  those  of  David  and  Jonathan  by 
an  uninterrupted  friendship  of  more  than  thirty  years.  We 
had  absolutely  no  secrets  from  each  other,  except  between  our 
souls  and  God.  First  as  students,  and  later  on  in  the  ministry, 
wc  shared  everything — our  plans,  our  difficulties,  our  struggles, 
our  encouragements.  What  he  was  to  me  personally,  what 
the  evangelisation  of  Africa,  above  all  of  the  Zambesi,  owes  to 
him,  God  only  knows.  Even  on  the  threshold  of  eternity,  he 
could   not  forget  cither  the  friend  of  his  heart  or  the  Mission 

e 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION  [1893 

of  the  Zambesi  ;  and  his  solicitude  for  both  shone  out  amid  the 
prayers  and  exhortations,  the  almost  prophetic  utterances,  that 
glorified  his  death-bed.  He  was  eagerly  awaiting  news  of  the 
last  reinforcement  he  had  sent  us,  and  suddenly  he  exclaimed 
joyfully,  "  Arrived  at  last ;  they  have  reached  the  Zambesi ! " 
And  it  was  so.  Doubtless  the  Lord  had  granted  him  that 
mysterious  and  unerring  vision  He  so  often  bestows  upon  His 
dying  saints.  Then,  in  a  fresh  transport  of  triumphant  faith, 
he  cried  in  the  native  tongue,  *'  Oho  Coillard  senatla  sa  Molimo  ! 
motsualle  da  ka"  ("  O  Coillard— my  own  friend  !  ").  ..."  Quoi- 
qu'on  en  dise,  in  as  de  la  foi.  Courage  !  "  These  were  almost 
his  last  words. 

Now  these  two  men,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  mighty  in  faith 
and  works,  have  passed  away.  God  has  taken  them.  Eternity 
will  reveal  their  part  in  the  Barotsi  Mission  :  my  own  is  pro- 
bably the  least.  They  were  "  true  till  death."  May  I  be  like 
them  !  May  I,  as  they  did,  glorify  God  by  my  life  and  by  my 
death,  and  like  them  know  but  the  one  motto,  "  To  live  is 
Christ "  / 

F.  Coillard. 


t 


JE^i 


PART    I 

THE  BANYAI  EXPEDITION 
1877—1879 


When  Israel  by  Divine  command 

The  pathless  desert  trod, 
They  found  throughout  the  barren  land 

A  sure  resource  in  God. 

A  cloudy  pillar  marked  the  way 
And  screened  them  from  the  heat, 

from  the  hard  rock  the  water  flowed, 
And  manna  was  their  meat. 

Like  them,  we  have  a  rest  in  view. 

Secure  from  hostile  powers ; 
Like  them,  we  tread  a  desert  too ; 
But  Israel's  God  is  ours ! 


ITINERARY    OF    THE    BANYAI    EXPEDITION 


Lerib6  Mission  Station 

...  Left  April  i6th,  1B77. 

'ived  April  24th, 

May  6th 
„       May  19th 
„       June  15th 

1877 

..     Harrysmith 

..     Heidelberg 

..     Pretoria         

..     Marabastadt 



? 

May  nth 
May  30th 

? 

,,       June  22nd 

..     Goedgedacht 



June  28th 

,,       June  30th 

,,       July  13th 

July  26th 

Aug.  8th 

..     Valdezia         

..     Goedgedacht 

..     Crossed  Limpopo  River 
..     Michael's  Fountain ... 



July  nth 
July  17th 
July  31st 
Aug.  loth  or  nth 

,,       Aug.  nth 
Aug.  iBth 

..     Crossed  Bubye  River 
..     Crossed  Nguanetsi  River 



? 
Aug.  2ISt 

,,       Aug.  22nd 
Aug.  28th 

(Nyamonto's   (in  sight  of  » 

i     Bohoa  Mountain)             j      " 

(■  Crossed      Zingwesi      and ) 

\     Lundi  Rivers                     3      " 

? 
? 

,,       Aug.  31st 

„       Sept.  4th 
,,       Dec.  15th 

Jan.  19th,  1878 
,,       about  March  loth 
,,       April  27th 
,,       July  26th 
,,       about  Aug.  28th 

^  Masonda's  Mountain  (neai 
1     Fort  Victoria) 

..     Nyanikoe       

Bulawayo       

..     Hope  Fountain,  Bulaway 

..     Inyati 

Shoshong       

..     Leshoma       

Sesheke 

}   ■• 

3             >. 

Sept.  3rd 

Sept.  17th 

? 
end  of  Feb.  1878 
March  31st 
June  14th 
Aug.  19th 

? 

Sept.  6th 
,,       Nov,  ist 
,,       Nov.  7th 
? 

Leshoma 

Sesheke 

..     Leshoma        

..     Deka 

...        ,, 

? 
Nov.  6th 
about  Nov.  i8th 
Dec.  2nd 

Dec.  31st 
,,       March  3rd,  1879 
,,       about  March  6th 
? 

..     Shoshong       

..     Seleka{01d) 

..     Blaauwberg,  W.  (Thateli' 
Goedgedacht 

s)"      ,',' 

Feb.  25th,  1879 
? 

? 
? 

March  29th 
,,       about  May 

8th 

..     Valdezia         

..     Pretoria          



April  17th 
IvLay  19th 

„       July  i6th, 

1879 

...     Lerib^            

Left  Cape  in  the  Conway 

Castle 

Jan.  13th,  18S0. 

THE    BANYAI     EXPEDITION 

AVERY  few  words  are  needed  to  enable  English  readers  to 
follow  the  history  of  the  Barotsi  Mission.  As  the  fore- 
going pages  have  shown,  it  was  an  offshoot  of  the  Basuto 
Mission,  now  so  well  known.  Francois  Coillard  had  come  out 
to  Africa  under  its  auspices  in  1857.  Three  years  later,  he 
married  Christina  Mackintosh,  with  whom  he  had  become 
acquainted  before  leaving  Paris.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a 
Baptist  minister  in  Edinburgh,  the  Rev.  Lachlan  Mackintosh. 

After  twenty  years'  labour,  they  were  in  the  act  of  preparing 
for  this  first  European  furlough,  when  the  news  of  M.  Dieterlen's 
disaster  arrived.  "  The  Gospel  entered  Europe  by  a  prison. 
Forward  !  forward  ! "  were  M.  Coillard's  words  to  the  Synod,  on 
hearing  of  it ;  and  little  as  they  expected  the  call  themselves 
at  such  a  moment,  there  could  be  no  question  of  refusing  it. 
They  had  offered  themselves  once  for  all. 

The  expedition  left  the  Lerib6  station  on  April  i6th,  1877, 
and  returned  to  it  about  July  i6th,  1879.  Besides  the  four 
Basuto  catechists,  Azael,  Aaron,  Andreas,  and  Asser,  with  their 
wives  and  families,  it  included  four  men  as  drivers  and  leaders 
for  the  waggons — namely,  Fono,  Bushman,  Eleazar,  and  Khosana. 
Of  these,  the  last  three  were  Christians,  who  volunteered  out 
of  love  for  the  work,  and  not  one  of  whom  lived  to  return. 
The  number  was  completed  by  M,  and  Mme.  Coillard,  and 
M.  Coillard's  niece,  Elise,  a  girl  of  eighteen. 

It  had  at  first  been  planned  that  they  should  go  round  by 
Bechuana-land,  avoiding  the  Transvaal ;  but  this  proved  unneces- 
sary. Already  the  Boer  authorities  had  offered  to  let  M.  Coillard 
pass  through  ;  and  when  he  arrived  at  Pretoria,  he  found  they 
had  been  superseded  by  the  British  Government,  whose  repre- 
sentatives at  Pretoria  gave  the  mission  party  every  encourage- 
ment.    After  crossing  the   Limpopo,  the  party  turned  to  the 

3 


4  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S78 

north-east,  and  plunged  literally  into  a  trackless  wilderness. 
They  had  only  the  compass  to  steer  by,  and  had  to  cut  their 
way,  as  they  went  along,  through  forest  and  prairie  grass. 
This  route  was  pretty  nearly  identical  with  that  now  con- 
necting the  Chartered  Company's  line  of  forts,  and  was  beset 
with  every  peril,  from  swollen  rivers  to  wild  beasts  and  wilder 
men.  Masonda,  a  treacherous  Mashona  chief,  almost  suc- 
ceeded in  destroying  the  whole  caravan.  A  few  weeks  after 
their  escape  from  him,  they  were  seized  by  an  armed  band, 
and  carried  off  to  Bulawayo,  to  Lobengula,  the  Matabele  king, 
who  accused  them  of  having  entered  his  territories  without 
permission  and  by  a  new  route. 

Lobengula  kept  them  prisoners  nearly  four  months,  treating 
them  with  personal  kindness,  but  constantly  putting  off  the 
official  reception  in  which  he  must  finally  grant  or  refuse  them 
permission  to  settle  among  the  Banyai'.  He  would  not  believe 
they  had  entered  his  realms  from  the  Transvaal.  Queen 
Victoria,  he  understood,  was  now  sovereign  of  the  Transvaal, 
and  consequently  his  next  neighbour.  How  was  it,  then,  that 
she  had  not  charged  them  with  a  present  for  him  ? 

"  No  doubt  she  would  have  done  so,"  incautiously  remarked 
a  European  who  was  present,  "  if  she  had  known  of  your 
existence." 

"  What ! "  angrily  muttered  the  king,  "  who  could  there  be 
who  does  not  know  ME  and  the  extent  of  my  kingdom?" 
Lobengula  seldom  raised  his  voice,  even  in  anger. 

"  Yes,"  interposed  Mme.  Coillard,  "  difficult  as  your  Chief- 
tainship must  find  it  to  believe  such  a  thing,  there  are  beings 
on  earth  so  wretched  and  benighted  as  never  even  to  have 
heard  of  YOU."  And  Lobengula  did  not  pursue  the  subject. 
Indeed,  beseemed  rather  overawed  generally'at  the  tone  adopted 
by  these  captives,  helpless  though  they  were,  in  the  hands  of  a 
chief  continually  surrounded  by  executioners. 

In  the  end,  he  absolutely  refused  permission  for  the  mis- 
sionaries to  settle  anywhere  within  his  dominions,  and  sent 
them  out  of  his  country.  For,  although  they  had  not  known 
of  it,  and  the  Banyai  strenuously  denied  his  authority,  he 
claimed  suzerainty  over  the  whole  of  Mashona-land — a  claim 
which  a  few  years  later  was  to  cost  him  dear. 

They  next   went   to  Khama's   town.      A   few   days    before 


i879]  THE   BANYAi    EXPEDITION  5 

leaving  Bulawayo,  however,  they  met  some  refugees  from  the 
north,  speaking  the  Sekololo  tongue,  which  is  identical  with 
Sesuto.  At  once  the  thought  presented  itself,  *'  Perhaps  this 
is  to  be  our  field  "  ;  and  when  they  reached  Shoshong,  both 
Khama  and  his  missionary,  Mr.  Hepburn,  warmly  took  up  the 
idea.  The  chief  himself  was  in  frequent  communication  with 
the  Barotsi  king,  Robosi  (since  known  as  Lewanika),  who,  like 
himself,  had  to  be  always  on  the  defensive  against  the  Matabele, 
and  he  volunteered  to  send  ambassadors  with  or  before  the 
expedition,  setting  before  Robosi  the  advantages  of  having 
missionaries,  and  urging  him  to  receive  them.  Accordingly, 
the  Coillards  set  off  with  Azael,  Asser,  Khosana,  and  Eleazar, 
leaving  the  families  with  the  other  two  evangelists  under 
Khama's  hospitable  care.  Six  months  later,  they  returned  to 
Shoshong.  They  had  succeeded  in  reaching  Sesheke,  on  the 
left  (north)  bank  of  the  Zambesi  ;  but  the  delays  imposed  by 
etiquette  had  prevented  their  obtaining  an  interview  with  the 
king  before  the  rainy  season,  when  the  whole  Barotsi  Valley 
is  under  water  for  some  months,  and  Lealuyi,  the  capital,  is 
practically  inaccessible.  However,  he  had  granted  them  leave 
to  return  with  the  evangelists  and  establish  a  mission  there. 
Within  these  six  months,  the  three  devoted  servants,  Khosana. 
Bushman,  and  Eleazar,  had  passed  away. 

The  expedition  now  left  Shoshong,  and  cut  across  country 
to  the  Swiss  mission  station  of  Valdezia,  in  the  north  of  the 
Transvaal.  Here  two  of  the  catechists  were  left  temporarily  ; 
while  Asser,  the  hero  of  the  original  Banyai"  exploration,  was 
placed  with  Aaron  at  Seleka,  a  small  heathen  village  on  the 
borders  of  Khama's  territory.  On  July  i6th  they  found 
themselves  once  more  in  Basuto-land,  and  in  the  following 
January  the  Coillards  started  on  their  long-deferred  visit  to 
Europe. 

C.  W.  M. 


6  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

A  Letter  from  M.  Coillard  to  his  Committee  in  Paris 

RESPECTING   HIS    PROPOSED    MISSION    TO   THE   BANYAI. 

Leribe,  January  lyd,  1877. 

Gentlemen  and  dear  Brethren, — The  Secretary  of  our 
Conference    has   doubtless   already   informed  you  of  the    pro- 
position which  my  colleagues  have  made — namely,  to  confide 
to  us  the   projected    expedition  to  the   Limpopo.     This  news 
will    have   surprised    you    all    as    much    as    it   did    ourselves. 
The  reasons  which  have  led  our  brethren  to  address  this  call 
to   us,  fully  realising   what   it  would   mean    to   us,  have    been 
submitted  to  you,  and  you  have  been  able  to  judge  of  them. 
If  this   appeal,   no   less   pressing   than    unanimous,   had    been 
made  last  year,  when  it  was  first  talked  about  in  the  mission, 
it   would   have   found    my  wife  and    myself  quite  ready.     But 
coming  just  at  the  moment  when  we  were  thinking  of  starting 
for  Europe,  at  first  it  overwhelmed  us.     The  overthrow  of  all 
our  plans,  an  indefinite  farewell  to  our  station  at  Leribe,  the 
responsibility  of  such  an  undertaking,  the  strange  new  prospects 
which  it  opened  up  to  us,  and  all  so  sudden  and  unexpected, 
stunned  and  bewildered  us.     We  both  felt  the  need  for  being 
alone  before  God,  and  for  seeking  His  will  together  at  His  feet. 
The  darkness  which  had  gathered  so   swiftly  round  our  path 
seemed  very  mysterious.     But  light  broke  little  by  little  ;  and 
then  we  saw  that  our  road  had  taken  another  direction.     From 
the   moment  we  realised  that   the   foundation   of  the    Banyai 
Mission  was  in  danger,  and  that  nothing  less  was  at  stake  than 
its  postponement  to  an  indefinite  date  for  want  of  a  labourer, 
we  understood  what  the  Master  demanded  of  us,  and  we  no 
longer  hesitated  to  obey.     After  ten  days  of  communion  with 
Him,  we  were  able  joyfully  to  silence  the  "counsels  of  flesh 
and  blood,"  and  to  say  to  Him  once  more,  "  Here  we  are  ;  send 
us."     He  has  deigned  to   accept   our   sacrifice,  and    in    token 
thereof  He  has  filled  our  hearts  with  perfect  peace. 

It  is  an  honourable  and  a  confidential  mission  with  which 
He  is  charging  us,  one  of  which  any  one  else  would  have  been 
more  worthy  than  ourselves.  We  are  haunted  by  the  painful 
sense  of  our  own  incapacity  and  ignorance ;  but  what  upholds 
us  is  that  God  is  often  pleased  to  make  use  of  the  weak  things 


i877]  A   LETTER   TO   THE   COMMITTEE  7 

of  this  world  to  confound  the  wise,  tliat  7to  flesh  should  glory  in 
His  presence. 

The  question  of  health  is  an  ever-present  menace,  and  not 
a  little  disquieting  ;  but  we  keep  reminding  each  other  that 
if  the  Master  is  calling  us,  "  He  knoweth  our  frame  "  ;  and  also 
that  we  do  not  belong  to  ourselves,  but  to  Him  Who  has  loved 
us  and  given  Himself  for  us.  But  we  shall  not  be  alone  in 
those  unknown  regions.  You  will  identify  yourselves  with  our 
work  ;  your  prayers  will  uphold  us.  God  will  send  His  ministers 
before  us  to  prepare  the  way;  and  besides,  the  Angel  of  the  Lord 
Himself  will  encamp  round  about  us,  as  He  did  about  the  prophet, 
with  His  legions  of  angels,  a)id  will  deliver  us.  That  is  our 
confidence,  our  strength,  and  our  joy. 

We  are  quite  taken  up  now  with  our  preparations  for 
departure.  I  intend  (D.V.)  to  ride  over  next  week  to  Natal,  to 
arrange  about  our  waggons  and  purchases  myself.  My  dear  wife 
will  stay  here  to  prepare  supplies  of  food  and  clothing,  and  set 
everything  to  rights,  with  her  usual  activity.  Thus,  on  my  return, 
we  shall  have  nothing  more  to  do,  except  to  settle  some  details 
as  to  the  catechists  and  the  expedition  in  general.  We  hope 
to  start  in  April  at  latest.  Then,  and  till  then,  we  shall  have 
a  time  of  fatigue  and  emotion.  I  dread  the  farewells.  But  the 
Lord  will  uphold  us  to  the  end.     He  will  be  our  strength. 

As  to  our  itinerary,  it  is  not  yet  settled.  Availing  ourselves 
of  some  indirect  overtures  from  President  Burgers,  we  have 
once  more  applied  to  the  Transvaal  authorities  for  a  passport 
We  have  as  yet  received  no  answer.  And,  also,  we  are  anxious 
to  know  what  will  be  the  result  of  the  mission  undertaken 
by  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone  at  the  request  of  the  British 
Government,  both  as  to  the  Transvaal  and  as  to  Sekoukouni.^ 
Up  to  the  present,  the  news  is  anything  but  reassuring.  The 
newspapers  of  these  parts  talk  of  irruptions  made  into  the 
territory  of  the  Republic  by  Cetewayo's  savage  hordes.  Strange 
rumours,  to  which  we  cannot  attach  much  credence,  circulate 
among  the  natives.  In  case  of  that  road  being  barred  to  us, 
I  should  not  consider  it  a  misfortune  if  we  were  obliged  to 
go  by  way  of  Mangwato,  and  even  to  go  as  far  as  Inyati  in 
Matabele-land.     But  there,  too,  the  Lord  will  guide  us. 

'  Or  Seccocoeni,  a  rebel  chief  whom  the  Boers  had  in  vain  been  striving  to 
subdue.     See  "  The  Life  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere." 


CHAPTER    I 

Off  to  Banyaif-land — Preparations  for  Departure — Visit  to  Natal — English 
Farmers — Return  to  Leribe — Conference  at  Morija — Evangelists  chosen 
— Farewell  to  Leribe — Harrysmith — Arrival  at  Pretoria — British  Pro- 
clamation— Mr.  Bosman — British  Soldiers — The  Bush  Veldt — Kindness 
of  Boers— Goedgedacht—Valdezia— MM.  Creux  and  Berthoud— Mr. 
Hofmeyr's  Work — Volunteers  from  his  Congregation — Departure  from 
Goedgedacht. 

Heidelberg,  May  6th,  1877. 

YES,  we  are  off  to  Banyal-land,  the  Zambesi  regions,  the 
interior  of  Africa!  It  is  almost  a  dream!  These  last  three 
months  have  been  so  full  of  work,  of  preparations,  preoccupa- 
tions, and  emotions  of  every  kind,  that  it  almost  makes  me 
giddy  to  think  of  it  all ;  and  I  cannot  help  repeating  with 
David,  "  It  is  God  that  girdeth  me  with  strength,  and  maketh 
my  way  perfect "  (Fr.  Ver.,  smooths  i/iy  way). 

First  of  all,  I  had  to  go  to  Natal  to  purchase  our  waggons 
and  provisions.  I  found  our  expedition  excited  the  most  lively 
interest  everywhere.  I  arrived  in  Durban  on  a  Wednesday 
evening,  and  immediately  betook  myself  to  the  church,  where, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  a  meeting  was  going 
on,  I  entered  noiselessly,  and  sat  down  by  the  door.  The 
pastor,  Mr.  Mann,  who  had  caught  sight  of  me  at  the  close  of 
his  address,  calling  to  me,  bade  me  welcome  in  the  name  of 
the  Church,  invoked  the  blessing  of  God  upon  our  enterprise, 
and  begged  me  to  close  the  meeting.  On  the  following  Sunday, 
in  spite  of  rainy  weather,  the  church  was  full,  and  I  preached 
on  these  words  :  "  And  other  sheep  I  have,  which  are  not  of 
this  fold  :  them  also  must  I  bring." 

At  Pietermaritzburg,  I  also  had  several  opportunities  of 
pleading  the  cause  of  missions.  Thanks  to  the  general  interest, 
of  which  my  friend  the  Rev.  J.  Smith  had  set  the  example, 
I   was    able  to    procure  waggons    on   extraordinarily   moderate 

8 


i877]  PREPARATIONS   FOR   DEPARTURE  9 

terms,  and  yet  as  complete  and  comfortable  as  they  could 
possibly  be.  In  passing  through  Harrysmith,  that  little  town 
in  the  Free  State  where  ten  years  before  we  had  been  led  as 
prisoners/  I  found  there  was  the  same  interest,  so  much  so 
that  on  my  return  I  was  able  to  add  nearly  £,^o  to  the  Mission 
Fund,  without  ever  having  thought  of  making  a  collection. 

One  evening,  I  arrived  at  a  farm  ;  the  owner  and  his  family, 
English  people,  were  earnest  Christians.  They  thought  I  was 
on  my  way  to  Europe  ;  but  when  I  told  them  how  the  Master 
had  suddenly  changed  my  route,  and  was  sending  mc  into 
unknown  parts,  the  old  lady  of  the  house,  clasping  her  hands, 
exclaimed  with  all  a  mother's  emotion,  "  Blessed  servants  of 
God  !  carry  the  ark  of  the  Lord  !  go  forward  !  fear  not  !  And 
we,  if  we  are  not  strong  enough  to  go  with  you,  shall  at  any 
rate  follow  you  in  thought ;  we  will  shout  with  the  sound  of 
trumpets  and  timbrels  "  (2  Sam.  vi.)  Then,  once  more  taking 
up  this  enthusiastic  strain,  she  added,  "  My  prayer  is,  that  before 
you  leave  Leribe  God  may  grant  you  a  mighty  revival.  Then 
we  will  come  and  rejoice  with  you  ;  and  while  you  and  your 
dear  lady  are  taken  up  with  speaking  to  the  awakened  souls,  I, 
who  do  not  understand  the  language,  will  be  preparing  your 
food,  and  I  too  will  have  my  share  of  blessing." 

Directly  after  my  return  to  Leribe,  I  had  to  ride  off  again  to 
Morija,  where  special  devotional  meetings  had  brought  most  of 
our  brethren  together.  We  considered  the  choice  of  evangelists, 
for  a  new  appeal  had  stirred  up  several  new  volunteers.  Out 
of  the  four  who  took  part  in  the  first  expedition,  one  was  left 
to  be  employed  in  Basuto-land,  because  of  an  accident  which 
has  almost  entirely  deprived  him  of  the  use  of  his  right  arm. 
This  was  Onesimus,  and  great  was  his  grief  when  he  learned  our 
decision.  In  his  place  they  chose  Aaron  Mayoro,  of  Leribe, 
a  young  married  man,  the  father  of  two  children,  and  full  of 
manly  zeal.  He  has  given  proofs  of  his  perseverance  and  self- 
abnegation  in  occupying  the  ungrateful  post  of  Bouta-Boute.^ 
His  wife,  who  is  worthy  of  himself,  was  brought  up  in  our  house. 

Next,  I  had  to  give  my  attention  to  the  work  of  the  district 

'  By  the  Boers.     See  Introduction. 

»  A  very  dreary  village — the  native  place  of  Moshesh,  the  supreme  chief, 
occupied  since  his  death  by  one  of  his  grandsons.  An  out-st?a'.ion  confided  to 
a  catechist. 


lO  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

I  was  about  to  leave.  I  had  recently  sent  some  young  men  to 
occupy  different  posts  as  schoolmasters  ;  and  now  it  was  neces- 
sary to  go  and  install  them  officially.  One  of  them,  Philemon, 
is  a  young  man  I  should  like  you  to  know.  A  Mopeli  by 
birth,  he  had  fled  from  his  father's  house  while  still  a  child,  in 
order  to  go  to  the  white  men,  and  earn  enough  to  buy  a  gun. 
Although  he  lived  with  a  pastor,  his  hatred  for  the  things  of 
God  knew  no  bounds.  On  the  journey  back  to  his  native 
country,  he  stayed  some  time  among  us  with  a  troop  of  his 
fellow-countrymen.  The  truth  made  a  deep  impression  on  some 
of  them,  and  farther  on  their  way,  they  informed  him  of  their 
determination  to  come  back  to  Leribe  and  learn.  He  broke 
into  a  violent  rage,  and  so  far  forgot  himself  as  to  spit  in 
their  faces.  A  fortnight  later  he  followed  them ;  and  standing 
at  our  door  quite  broken  down,  and  even  shedding  tears,  asked 
to  be  admitted  among  our  pupils.  His  was  one  of  those 
striking  conversions  which  leave  no  room  for  doubt  ;  and  he 
won  the  place  of  a  son  in  our  hearts  as  well  as  in  our  house. 
We  prepared  him  for  the  school  of  Morija  :  he  has  just  left  it 
with  his  diploma.  His  gift  for  teaching  is  remarkable.  In 
three  months,  in  a  place  where  he  had  scarcely  four  or  five 
pupils,  he  has  got  together  more  than  forty-five,  all  the  children 
of  heathen  ;  and  what  he  has  taught  them  in  this  short  space 
of  time  astonishes  us.  His  manners,  frank  and  simple,  but 
respectful,  have  won  the  esteem  of  all  the  neighbouring  petty 
chiefs. 

The  dedication  of  the  church  of  Tsikoane  attracted  a  great 
crowd  of  people.  There  were  some  there  whose  presence  added 
much  to  the  solemnity  of  the  occasion  for  me  ;  these  were  the 
evangelists  from  Morija,  who  were  to  accompany  us  to  the  Banyai. 
They  arrived  at  Leribe  the  next  day  ;  and  then,  in  the  midst  of 
meetings  and  private  interviews  with  the  members  of  my  flock, 
we  had  to  put  the  finishing  touches  to  our  preparations  for 
departure,  pack  the  cases,  and  load  the  waggons. 

By  the  Saturday,  everything  was  finished.  Our  friends 
Jousse  and  Mabille,  and  their  companions,  our  brothers  Duvoisin, 
Casalis,  Preen,  Dicterlen,  and  Christmann,  and  some  Christians 
from  other  Churches,  arrived.  Those  whom  their  age  or  other 
circumstances  prevented  from  coming  wrote  us  encouraging 
and  affectionate  letters.     The  presence  of  our  dear  Rasuto-land 


i877]  FAREWELL   TO   LERIBt  II 

brethren  and  their  fervent  prayers  powerfully  upheld  us.  It 
seemed  like  the  angel  whom  the  Lord  sent  to  the  prophet  in 
the  desert  with  food  and  the  message,  "  Arise  and  eat,  because 
the  journey  is  too  great  for  thee." 

I  ascended  the  pulpit  for  the  last  time.  A  ministry  of  nearly 
twenty  years  unrolled  itself  before  me,  with  all  its  blessings,  its 
few  successes,  but  also  its  recollections  of  unfaithfulnesses  and 
miserable  mistakes,  now,  alas  !  beyond  repair — a  ministry  the 
fearful  responsibility  of  which  I  had  never  so  fully  realised 
before.  We  bade  good-bye  to  each  member  of  our  dear  flock. 
For  us,  the  Lord's  promise  has  not  been  empty.  If  we  have  left 
mothers,  brothers,  sisters,  we  have  found  them  again  in  this  life  :  it 
was  from  them  and  from  beloved  children  in  the  faith  that  we  were 
parting.     We  were  leaving  another  fatherland,  another  France. 

Besides  the  collection  made  in  the  church,  our  poor  people 
came  again  on  the  Monday,  bringing  us  their  little  presents  with 
many  tears.  One  of  the  most  aged  women  of  our  flock  came, 
just  as  we  were  getting  into  the  waggons,  and  offered  us  a  mat 
she  had  long  been  working  at.  "  I  wanted  to  spread  it  under 
your  feet,  servants  of  God,"  she  said,  bursting  into  tears.  The 
sun  was  already  close  to  the  horizon  ;  we  felt  it  was  impossible 
to  bear  the  emotional  strain  any  longer.  The  brothers  and 
sisters  who  had  stayed  with  us  to  the  last  moment  assembled  in 
our  parlour,  and  commended  us  once  more  to  God  and  to  the 
word  of  His  grace  ;  and  after  a  few  private  moments  with 
my  beloved  wife  in  this  house,  which  had  witnessed  so  many 
struggles  and  benedictions,  one  last  look  at  the  garden  that 
adorns  this  retreat,  we  entered  the  waggons  and  gave  the  signal 
to  start.  Dear  Leribe,  at  once  our  Bethel  and  our  Ebenezer, 
farewell,  farewell  !  Farewell,  children  of  God,  whose  tender 
affection  has  given  us  citizenship  among  you,  and  made  us  forget 
the  house  of  our  fathers  !  May  our  successors  be  as  happy  there 
as  we  have  been,  and  still  more  blessed  !  Did  we  make  the 
mistake  of  looking  on  Leribe  as  our  earthly  home,  and  the 
work  we  pursued  here  as  our  own  ?  The  Lord  has  dispelled 
that  illusion  ;  but  yet  we  cling  to  its  very  stones,  watered  by  our 
tears  and  the  sweat  of  our  brows. 

Most  of  the  people  persisted  in  following  our  waggons.  I 
rode  to  bid  good-bye  to  the  poor  chief  Molapo,  who  was  ill, 
exhorted  him   for  one  last  time,  and  prayed  with  him.     I  had 


12  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

just  separated  from  M.  Jousse.  God  only  knows  what  I  owe 
him.  Now  I  had  to  part  from  Mabille,  the  friend  of  my  heart, 
the  witness  of  my  conflicts  and  my  weakness.  We  felt  shaken 
to  the  very  foundations.  But  Jesus  was  there  ;  no  separation 
from  Him.    "  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

The  magistrate,  the  traders,  and  some  Europeans  of  the 
district  also  wished  to  give  us  a  token  of  the  interest  they  took 
in  our  distant  expedition,  and  sent  us,  together  with  a  purse 
of  ten  guineas,  a  letter,  in  which  they  were  pleased  to  acknow- 
ledge our  labours,  and  to  express  the  warmest  wishes  for  the 
success  of  our  enterprise  and  regret  for  our  departure. 

The  next  day,  many  of  our  people  came  to  our  camp  to 
renew  the  painful  scenes  of  the  previous  day.  Men  on  foot 
and  on  horseback  accompanied  us  for  several  days'  journey.  It 
was  at  Harrysmith  that  we  parted  from  the  last,  and  among 
them  Nathanael  Makotoko,  to  whom  I  am  closely  bound  by 
a  friendship  of  more  than  twenty  years,  and  whom  only  the 
most  urgent  duties  prevented  from  going  with  us.  The  many 
kindnesses  we  received  at  Harrysmith  did  not  succeed  in 
softening  the  bitterness  of  this  last  drop. 

The  caravan  is  composed  of  three  waggons  and  three  tents. 
The  expedition  includes  the  four  evangelists  Asser,  Azael, 
Andreas,  and  Aaron,  with  their  wives  and  some  of  their  children. 
Besides  these,  we  have  three  young  men  from  Leribe  who  have 
volunteered  to  lead  the  teams  and  graze  the  cattle.  Eleazar, 
the  driver  ^  of  our  waggon,  is  the  son  of  Luka  Ntsaba,  who,  in 
1833,  guided  the  first  missionaries  to  Basuto-land.  He  is  one 
of  the  evangelists  from  Morija.  He  was  burning  with  the  desire 
to  go  the  Banyai"  in  that  capacity,  but  his  wife  would  not  hear 
of  it ;  and  it  was  thereupon  that,  with  her  consent,  he  offered 
himself  to  drive  our  waggon.  His  is  a  merry,  playful  tempera- 
ment, and  he  possesses  in  a  very  unusual  degree  the  gift  of 
speaking  well.  Four  Bapeli  have  joined  us  for  the  sake  of 
returning  to  their  own  country,  and  they  try  to  make  them- 
selves useful,  one  of  them  especially,  who  has  long  lived  in  our 
house,  and  has  never  ventured  to  declare  himself  converted, 
although  I  believe  him  to  be  a  true  child  of  God.  Finally, 
a  niece   of  mine  accompanies  us  ;  a  strange  concatenation   of 

'  In  Africa,  the  driver  of  an  ox-team   wields  the  long  whip ;   the  leader 
goes  before  the  team  to  show  tlie  wav. 


i877]  rULiTURIA  I3 

circumstances  has  brought  her  to  us,  and    I  hope  she  will   be 
a  blessing  to  us  and  to  others. 

Our  rule  is  to  start  before  daybreak,  and  to  travel  late  into 
the  night,  resting  for  a  few  hours  during  the  heat  of  the  day  to 
take  a  meal  and  graze  the  oxen,  for  whom  we  have  to  sacrifice 
our  comforts,  our  habits,  and  our  tastes.  Besides  family  worship 
morning  and  evening,  at  our  chief  halts  we  have  prayer  meetings 
and  regular  services.  The  watchword  which  seems  to  have  been 
given  us  from  the  beginning  of  our  journey,  and  which  con- 
stantly recurs  in  our  conversations  and  our  exhortations,  is, 
"  Let  this  mind  be  in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus " 
(Phil.  ii.  5).  Needless  to  say,  the  most  perfect  harmony  reigns 
amongst  us.  We  cherish  no  illusions  as  to  the  difficulties,  priva- 
tions, fatigues,  and  perils  that  await  us  ;  but  for  that  very  reason 
we  feel  all  the  more  the  necessity  for  strengthening  ourselves  in 
the  Lord.  We  know  we  are  followed  by  the  prayers  of  God's 
children,  and  that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  encamps  round  about 
us  and  delivers  us. 

GoEDGEDACHT,  July  ijth,   1877. 

It  was  from  Heidelberg  that  I  wrote  last.  An  epidemic  had 
broken  out  among  our  teams  and  carried  off  several  oxen. 
After  a  week's  rest,  we  were  able  to  go  on,  and  we  arrived  at 
Pretoria  about  May  19th.  We  halted  for  a  moment  before 
entering  the  town,  just  to  compose  ourselves,  and  look  round 
upon  the  panorama  before  us.  A  beautiful  valley,  encircled 
by  hills ;  clumps  of  trees,  through  which  we  could  descry  a 
confused  mass  of  white  houses, — this  was  Pretoria,  Dieterlen's 
prison,  the  great  wall  set  up  against  the  Gospel.  But  God  has 
broken  through  the  gates  of  that  prison  ;  and  when  He  opens, 
no  man  can  shut. 

We  outspanned  to  the  sound  of  cannon  ;  flags  were  flying 
everywhere  ;  the  streets  were  filled  with  excited  people,  and  the 
air  with  martial  music.  The  town  was  holding  festival.  Sir 
Theophilus  Shepstone  and  the  members  of  his  government  were 
going  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Queen.  The  coin- 
cidence of  our  arrival  with  this  circumstance  seemed  to  us  very 
remarkable.  We  set  up  our  camp  close  to  the  prison,  which  was 
surrounded  by  the  tents  of  the  English  ;  and  it  was  under  the 
shadow  of  those  very  walls  that  on  the  Sunday  evening  we  took 


14  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

the  Communion  together,  our  hearts  overflowing  with  gratitude. 
"  There  is  our  prison,"  said  one  of  the  catechists  to  me  ;  "  we 
must  show  you  our  cells."  One  time,  when  Asser  was  passing 
close  by  it  with  one  of  his  companions,  he  took  it  into  his  head 
to  knock  at  the  door.  "  What  do  you  want  ?  "  asked  the  jailer 
roughly.  "  We  should  like  to  see  the  cells  once  more  where 
they  put  us  last  year."  "  Get  out  with  you,  Kaffirs,"  This  time 
the  door  was  shut  tight  enough  ! 

We  went  to  pay  our  respects  to  Sir  Theophilus  Shepstone, 
whom  we  had  seen  a  great  deal  of  in  Natal.  He  seemed  pleased 
to  see  us  again,  and  showed  the  greatest  interest  in  our  enter- 
prise, as  did  the  gentlemen  attending  him.  He  gave  us  all  the 
information  and  all  the  advice  he  could,  and  asked  us  to  write 
to  him  as  often  and  as  regularly  as  possible.  He  pressed  us 
very  much  to  stay  in  Pretoria  till  the  24th,  the  Queen's  birth- 
day, so  that  our  catechists,  to  whom  he  came  and  spoke  very 
kindly,  might,  as  he  said,  realise  that  they  had  nothing  more  to 
dread  from  the  prisons  of  Pretoria,  but  had  rather  to  confide  in 
a  crovernment  which  was  friendly  to  missions  and  the  protector 
of  the  blacks.  The  Baron  de  Salis-Fanson,  the  Belgian  consul, 
also  interested  himself  in  our  expedition. 

Our  stay  in  the  capital  could  not  fail  to  make  a  sensation. 
The  employes  of  different  grades  under  the  late  Government 
behaved  very  apologetically  to  us.  One  of  them  especially, 
now  a  servant  of  the  new  Government  (in  what  capacity  I  know 
not),  pressed  me  strongly  to  visit  him  at  his  house,  "  for  he  very 
much  wanted  to  have  a  long  conversation  with  me,  not  to  make 
any  excuses"  he  added,  pulling  himself  up  to  assert  his  dignity, 
"  but  to  give  us  some  explanations."  But  as  I  did  not  want  any 
explanations  from  him,  I  politely  referred  him  to  public  opinion, 
to  his  conscience  and  his  God.  If  I  had  one  regret,  it  was  that 
Dieterlen  himself  was  not  there  to  see  with  his  own  eyes  the 
change  that  has  taken  place.  Every  one  we  met  thought  it  the 
correct  thing  to  talk  indignantly  about  Burgers  and  his  govern- 
ment, and  the  way  they  had  treated  first  Dieterlen,  and  then  our 
Swiss  brethren,  Creux  and  Berthoud.^  It  is  a  token  of  sympathy, 
which  costs  very  little  under  existing  circumstances  ;  one  must 
just  take  it  for  what  it  is  worth.  We  enjoyed  the  society  of 
the  German  missionary  and  his  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grlineberger, 
'  See  note  on  page  17. 


i877]  THE   BUSH   VELDT  I5 

and  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bosman.  The  latter  friend,  a  young 
Dutch  pastor,  who,  like  most  of  his  fellow-students,  does 
credit  to  the  South  African  School  of  Theology  at  Stellenbosch, 
has  only  been  a  few  months  established  at  Pretoria.  He  has 
the  true  "  sacred  fire,"  and  assuredly  his  labour  will  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord.  In  view  of  the  prejudices  of  his  congregation, 
he  would  not  have  dared  to  offer  his  pulpit  to  a  missionary  ;  but 
he  had  the  courage  to  transform  his  Sunday  school  into  a 
missionary  meeting  for  us,  and,  as  he  had  announced  it  at  the 
morning  service,  a  large  number  of  adults  assembled  and  seemed 
interested.  I  love  the  Dutch  Church  of  the  Cape,  the  asylum 
of  the  old  French  refugees  ;  and  wherever  I  can  meet  with  it,  I 
love  to  report  the  Christian  and  missionary  spirit  that  still 
dwells  in  its  bosom.  The  wars  and  antagonisms  of  races,  their 
continually  conflicting  interests,  have  stifled,  but  they  have  not 
quite  extinguished  it.  May  God  cause  His  Spirit  to  blow  over 
this  Church  and  her  pastors ! 

We  were  impatient  to  be  off  again,  and  on  a  Wednesday 
evening  at  sunset  we  inspanned.  Some  soldiers  ran  up  to  bid 
us  good-bye,  and  wish  us  a  pleasant  journey :  we  had  been 
neighbours  for  ten  days,  and  had  made  acquaintance  with 
several  of  them.  "  Sir,"  one  of  them  said  to  me,  "  the  behaviour  of 
your  people  has  been  a  wonder  to  us ;  it  has  done  us  real  good.  We 
have  never  seen  such  honest  natives,  nor  any  that  were  so  polite 
and  religious.  We  often  used  to  listen  to  their  singing,  and  many 
a  time  we  would  have  come  to  your  services,  if  we  had  dared." 

It  was  icy  cold,  and  as  we  passed  along  the  streets  we  could 
espy  through  the  windows  families  sitting  at  their  tea,  or  round 
sparkling  fires.  We  could  not  see  a  step  before  us  ;  in  fact,  we 
lost  our  way.  And  how  our  thoughts  did  go  back  to  our  home 
at  Leribe  ! — not  regretfully  though.  We  were  only  too  happy 
to  be  going  forward. 

We  were  now  crossing  a  wooded  country  ;  the  road  was 
good,  and  so  was  the  spirit  animating  all  our  people.  They 
sang  hymns,  they  hunted  or  pretended  to  hunt,  and  all  along 
the  road  we  kept  meeting  obliging  people.  We  were  the  objects 
of  special  kindness  in  what  they  call  the  Bush  Veldt — a  district 
to  which  a  great  many  Boers  had  betaken  themselves  in  patri- 
archal style,  with  their  families  and  flocks,  for  the  winter. 
Here,  where  there  is  no  telegraph,  news   flies  at  a  surprising 


1 6  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

rate.  Everybody  knew  about  us,  and  the  purpose  of  our 
journey,  and  all  expressed  good  wishes  for  us.  It  was  curious 
to  see  these  forest  camps.  Often  we  would  halt  for  the  night, 
believing  ourselves  to  be  quite  alone,  and  then  suddenly  in  the 
middle  of  the  night  or  very  early  in  the  morning  we  would  hear 
the  sound  of  psalm-singing.  It  was  the  farmers'  families  at 
prayer.  These  psalmodies,  awaking  sweet  childish  memories, 
and  making  me  think  of  the  "  assemblies  of  the  Desert,"^  thrilled 
strangely  through  us  in  the  midst  of  these  forest  solitudes  and 
the  silence  of  the  night.  All  the  farmers  behaved  most  kindly 
and  obligingly  to  us  ;  they  gave  us  milk,  eggs,  and  meat,  nearly 
always  refusing  to  accept  payment.  Indeed,  the  Lord's  good- 
ness and  mercy  accompanied  us  like  two  angel  escorts  ;  and 
when  we  came  in  sight  of  Mr.  Hofmeyr's  station  at  the  foot  of 
the  beautiful  Zoutpansberg  Range,  beyond  which  no  messenger 
of  Christ  has  yet  carried  the  Gospel,  we  fell  on  our  knees  and 
gave  thanks  to  God. 

Our  brother  the  Dutch  missionary,  Hofmeyr,  was  absent, 
and  did  not  return  till  some  days  after  our  arrival,  which, 
however,  did  not  prevent  his  people  from  receiving  us  with 
touching  affection.  On  his  return,  he  lent  us  two  teams ;  and 
leaving  our  luggage  and  one  of  the  waggons  at  Goedgedacht, 
we  left  for  Valdezia.     The  journey  occupied  three  days. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  delights  of  finding 
ourselves  once  more  with  our  dear  friends  Creux  and  Berthoud, 
the  pioneers  of  the  Mission  de  la  Suisse  Romande  (as  the 
Mission  Vaudoise  is  now  called).  The  meeting  of  our  cate- 
chists  with  their  brethren  at  Valdezia  was  a  sight  worth  seeing. 
Here,  it  was  like  being  in  Basuto-land  ;  the  hamlet  which 
the  evangelists  occupy  at  the  station  even  bears  its  name. 
Every  one  talks  Sesuto  ;  they  sing  our  hymns,  and  among 
these  beautiful  mountains  the  illusion  is  complete.  Our  arrival 
was  quickly  noised  abroad,  and  the  same  evening  some  young 
men  converts  and  a  great  many  heathen  came  together  to  bid 
us  welcome.  We  spent  ten  days  with  our  brethren — days  too 
quickly  passed.  One  little  excursion  we  made  with  M.  Creux 
to    visit    Mr.    Schwellnus,    a    German    missionary.     Our    Swiss 

'  Assemblies  of  Protestants  during  the  revolutionary  period  at  the  end  of 
last  century  and  beginning  of  this,  in  the  district  of  France  known  as  the 
Desert,  around  Nimes  and  the  Cevennes. 


f  j^frnr-'aErJ^srs  i\vr 


^^ 


i877]  VALDEZIA  I7 

friends  have  fraternised  with  the  representatives  of  the  Berlin 
Society,  and  they  share  the  mission  field  with  each  other  in 
a  friendly  spirit.  Travelling  through  this  country,  I  have  been 
struck  with  the  influence  of  our  Basuto  Mission,  its  language  and 
literature,  among  these  tribes,  and  in  the  Transvaal.  Our  three 
waggons  might  have  been  loaded  with  books,  and  we  could  easily 
have  sold  them  all.  Everywhere  we  were  beset  with  demands  for 
books,  especially  New  Testaments.  Our  friends  had  put  off  a 
festival  for  our  arrival.  A  modest  and  primitive  church  was 
completed  for  the  occasion  ;  the  bell  rang  for  the  first  time  to 
call  both  faithful  and  unbelievers  together ;  and  six  young  men, 
pagans  not  long  ago,  publicly  confessed  the  Saviour's  Name,  and 
received  the  seal  of  baptism.  Generally  in  South  Africa  women 
are  more  easily  attracted  to  the  Gospel  than  men  ;  servitude 
has  prepared  them  for  it.  Here,  it  is  principally  among  the 
young  men  that  it  is  working,  young  fathers  of  families  ;  and 
this  is  the  true  future  for  the  Church.  Asser  in  his  address 
made  a  touching  allusion  to  the  time  when,  all  alone  with 
Eliakim,  he  first  broke  ground  in  this  garden  of  the  Lord.  In 
the  evening,  we  took  the  Communion  together.  Valdezia  is 
the  Elim  of  our  journey.  We  parted  from  our  friends,  feeling 
rested,  refreshed,  and  encouraged.  I  say  nothing  of  their 
kindnesses  to  us  ;  and  for  a  very  good  reason — I  should  not 
know  where  to  begin.  They  placed  everything  at  our  disposal, 
even  the  provisions  they  have  such  difficulty  in  procuring  for 
themselves.  They  had  not  even  waited  for  our  arrival  before 
buying  some  cattle  for  us,  and  picking  the  best  out  of  their  own 
teams  to  exchange  them  for  our  sick  or  worn-out  oxen.  The 
Lord  had  used  their  captivity  at  Marabastadt  ^  to  make  them 
even  more  popular  than  they  were  before.  Bcrthoud  is  a 
doctor,  and  his  success  in  this  branch  has  won  him  as  much 
consideration  and  influence  among  the  whites  as  among  the 
blacks.  Creux  is  above  all  an  evangelist,  and  his  thorough 
knowledge  of  English  opens  many  doors  to  him.  He  preaches 
in  this  language  to  the  farmers,  visits  them,  and  keeps  an  especial 
look-out  on  the  spirits,  which  arc  the  curse  of  the  country.  And, 
indeed,  people  hereabouts  stand  considerably  in  awe  of  him. 

1  They  were  taken  from  their  station  and  brought  there  by  the  Boers,  who 
objected  to  their  missionary  work.  The  same  Government  which  had  arrested 
M,  Dieterlen  kei)t  them  prisoners  for  several  weeks. 

2 


1 8  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1877 

GocdgedacJit  is  a  mission  entirely  sustained  by  the  children 
of  the  Dutch  Church  at  the  Cape.  It  is  here  that  MacKidd 
died,  a  Scotchman,  and  a  true  servant  of  God,  whose  name  the 
natives  never  pronounce  even  now  without  the  most  profound 
reverence.  At  present,  Mr.  Hofmeyr  is  at  the  head  of  the  work.* 
He  is  an  Afrikander,  a  man  mighty  both  in  faith  and  works,  his 
heart  burning  with  love  and  enthusiasm  in  his  Master's  service. 
His  spirit  has  communicated  itself  to  his  people,  and  for  them 
this  expedition  is  the  answer  to  ardent  prayers.  He  had  always 
been  on  fire  to  see  the  Banyai  evangelised,  and  he  would  have 
started  himself,  if  .some  one  could  have  taken  his  place.  He  has 
all  the  affection  and  admiration  of  the  pious  Cape  Dutch  for  our 
mission  (the  S.M.E.P.).^  So  you  may  think  what  a  reception 
they  gave  us  when  we  came  back.  They  loaded  our  waggons 
with  flour,  maize,  and  sweet  potatoes,  not  forgetting  fowls,  pigs, 
pigeons,  cats,  and  I  don't  know  what  not !  Our  people  said, 
"  Look,  master,  how  our  waggons  are  growing  !  "  As  for  me,  I 
thought  of  Noah's  Ark. 

It  was  a  solemn  Sunday,  the  last  we  spent  with  our  friends. 
From  the  pulpit  went  forth  pressing  appeals  to  consecration  and 
devotedness,  which  we  took  home  to  ourselves.  In  a  special 
Church  meeting,  our  friend  said  to  his  flock,  "  Who  is  going  to 
the  Banya'i  with  our  brothers  from  France  and  Basuto-land  ? 
Let  each  one  examine  himself."  The  next  day  at  dawn,  he 
came  to  me  and  said,  "  Dear  brother,  the  Lord  is  asking  my 
right  hand  for  you ;  but  it  is  all  right ;  you  shall  have  him." 
At  midday  two  other  men,  the  pillars  of  the  Church,  presented 
themselves.  "  The  Lord  is  taking  my  best  men,"  he  said,  "  but 
they  are  His."  On  the  eve  of  our  departure,  there  was  a  fare- 
well meeting  in  the  evening,  which  went  on  far  into  the  night, 
and  brought  back  to  us  all  the  sorrowful  scenes  of  Basuto- 
land.  One  could  feel  the  beating  of  hearts  full  of  faith  and 
devotion.  "  We  are  going  to  the  wars,"  said  those  who  were 
going  with  us,  "  like  the  Israelites  against  the  Amalekites.  You 
stay  here,  hold  up  the  hands  of  God's  servant,  and  pray  for  us." 
"  My  beloved  brother,"  said  Mr  Hofmeyr,  quite  overcome  by  his 
feelings,  "  here  are  three  of  our  children,  whom  we  are  commit- 

1  Son-in-law  of  the  Rev.  F.  and  Mrs.  Neethling,  and  nephew  of  Mr.  Andrew 
Murray. 

•■'  La  Society  des  Missions  Evangehques  de  Paris. 


1^77]  LEAVING   GOEDGEDACHT  IQ 

ting  to  you,  to  go  with  you  and  carry  the  Gospel  to  the  Banyai', 
for  whom  we  have  prayed  so  much.  It  costs  us  much  to  part 
with  them,  because  of  the  position  they  occupied  among  us. 
But  the  Lord  is  calling  them  ;  and  if  I  have  any  regret,  it  is 
that  my  sons  John,  Henry,  and  Christopher  are  too  young  to  go 
too."  Then  turning  towards  these  three  men,  who  were  standing 
up  in  the  midst  of  the  assembly,  "  Remember,"  he  said,  "  that 
the  fertiliser  which  makes  the  seed  of  the  Gospel  grow  is  the 
ilesh  and  bones  of  Jesus  Christ's  disciples." 

But  I  do  not  feel  capable  of  telling  you  any  more  about  it 
This  is  not  the  moment  to  be  trembling  and  giving  way  to 
emotion.  It  is  the  moment  for  us  to  draw  near  to  God,  to  gird 
ourselves  with  strength  and  courage,  and  go  joyfully  forward. 
We  are  taking  the  desert  way,  which  we  do  not  know  anything 
about.  The  Creux  have  accompanied  us  thus  far.  It  is  like 
the  gangway  that  still  joins  us  to  the  shore  ;  once  raised,  we 
shall  be  cut  asunder  from  all  our  friends,  and  deprived,  no  doubt 
for  a  long,  long  time,  of  all  intercourse  with  them  and  the 
civilised  world.  But  the  Lord  is  our  light  and  salvation.  Of 
whom  should  we  be  afraid  ? 


CHAPTER   11 

On  the  Banks  of  the  Limpopo — Palm  Tree  Fountain — Crossing  the  Crocodile 
River — Lions — Arrival  in  Banyai'-land — The  Chief  Nyamonto — Adventures 
at  Masonda's  Mountain — Cattle  carried  off — A  Great  Deliverance — Mes- 
sengers sent  from  Maliankombe  at  Nyanikoe  to  Lobengula. 

On  the  Banks  of  the  Limpopo,  July  T.'jth,   1877. 

YESTERDAY  we  crossed  the  Limpopo,  only  a  few  days 
after  leaving  Mr.  Hofmeyr's  station  ;  but  they  were  days 
that  certainly  counted  for  something.  We  had  slept  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  river,  near  a  beautiful  fountain  with  no  name, 
where,  for  the  first  time,  we  found  palm  trees  laden  with  fruit. 
We  have  given  it  the  name  of  Palm  Tree  Fountain  ;  it  recalled 
to  us  the  Elim  of  the  Israelites.  We  would  willingly  have 
stayed  beside  it  for  some  days,  for  we  were  very  tired.  During 
the  last  two  or  three  days,  we  had  been  obliged  to  cut  our  way 
with  axes.  But  knowing  that  the  Limpopo  was  so  near,  we 
struck  our  camp.  We  reached  the  river  about  eleven  o'clock, 
and  outspanned  on  the  north  bank,  when  the  last  rays  of  the 
sun  were  disappearing  on  the  horizon.  We  had  great  difficulty 
in  crossing  this  river,  because  it  flows  over  a  bed  of  deep  sand  ; 
and,  once  over,  we  were  so  exhausted  with  fatigue,  that  all  we 
could  do,  after  penning  the  donkeys  and  tethering  the  cattle, 
was  to  give  thanks  to  God.  Then  we  perceived  that  three  sick 
oxen  had  been  left  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  Who  would 
go  to  fetch  them  ?  The  moon  rose  late.  The  crocodiles  have 
such  a  reputation  in  these  quarters,  that  not  for  worlds  would 
one  of  our  people  have  risked  making  a  night  excursion  across 
the  reed  thickets  that  fringe  the  river,  nor  would  we  have  dared 
to  take  it  on  ourselves  to  send  them.  We  laid  the  matter 
before  the  Lord  in  all  confidence.  Lions  and  hyaenas  roared 
and  howled  in   various  directions  ;  nevertheless,  next  morning 

20 


i877]  LIONS   AND    HY/ENAS  2t 

we  found  the  three  oxen  walking  about  in  the  forest.  To-day 
is  Thursday,  and  we  are  going  to  rest  till  next  Monday.  We 
have  killed  an  ox,  a  present  from  Mr.  Hofmeyr,  so  that  we  shall 
not  want  for  occupation  in  cutting  it  up  and  drying  it.  Every 
one  in  the  camp  is  happy.  We  bathe  in  the  river  and  admire 
the  baobabs,  which  form  a  perfect  forest  hereabouts.  The  lions 
have  often  sent  us  their  salutations,  but  have  never  yet  honoured 
us  with  their  visits.  Our  waggons  are  beginning  to  look  very 
deplorable ;  their  canvas  covers  are  all  so  torn,  that  it  seems 
as  though  we  should  soon  have  to  sleep  al fresco.  Passing  the 
bushes  and  thorn  trees  of  these  parts  is  no  joke. 

August  (jth. 

You  will  notice  on  Baines's  map  a  group  of  hills  through 
which  the  Bubye  River  flows  ;  we  are  at  the  angle  of  those  to 
the  south-west  of  this  river.  Till  now  we  have  followed  the 
waggon  tracks  of  an  elephant  hunter,  Mr.  Foster.  Now  we 
must  leave  these  tracks,  for  they  would  lead  us  too  far  from  our 
route.  We  shall  have  to  cut  our  way  through  the  woods,  guided 
by  the  compass.  When  we  reach  the  Bohoa  Mountain  (Baines's 
Wochua),  we  shall  not  be  far  from  the  first  Banyai  villages.  We 
hope  to  find  a  Makalaka  chief  on  our  way  named  Mathipa,  at 
whose  place  we  shall  be  able  to  renew  our  stock  of  native 
provisions,  which  is  sensibly  diminishing. 

The  country  we  are  traversing  is  very  dry,  but  God  has  so 
guided  us  till  now  that  neither  we  nor  our  cattle  have  suffered 
from  thirst.  My  wife  always  has  a  provision  of  cold  tea  in 
bottles,  so  that  from  time  to  time  she  can  give  a  draught  to 
a  thirsty  axeman,  or  a  team  driver  hoarse  with  shouting.  We 
got  no  sleep  last  night :  we  had  scarcely  outspanned,  and  had 
not  had  time  to  pen  our  beasts,  when  a  lion  came  out  of  the 
thicket  and  fell  upon  one  of  our  dogs.  As  he  only  succeeded 
in  leaving  the  traces  of  his  claws  upon  the  poor  creature,  he 
prowled  round  the  camp  all  night,  defying  the  gleam  of  our 
fires  and  the  firing  of  our  guns.  He  was  not  alone  :  the  laughter 
of  the  hyaenas  mingled  with  his  roaring  ;  anything  but  a  soothing 
serenade  for  us. 

All  is  peace  and  goodwill  among  us.  The  serpent  of  ill- 
humour  has  not  yet  come  in  to  poison  our  intercourse  with  one 
another. 


22  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

Nyanikoe,  Banyai-land,  September  lyih,  1S77, 
We  have  been,  thank  God  !  nearly  a  fortnight  in  the  Banyai 
country,  which  is  locally  known  as  Bombe,  and  have  pitched  our 
tents  near  the  residence  of  the  chief  Maliankombe.  We  crossed 
the  Bubye  at  its  junction  with  the  Mokokoe,  a  river  whose  bed 
is  fairly  wide,  but  just  then  it  was  dried  up.  Our  journey  had 
become  extremely  laborious  and  fatiguing.  When  we  had  with 
great  difficulty  forced  our  way  through  a  scrub,  covered  with  tall 
grass  and  brushwood,  we  found  ourselves  in  an  immense  forest, 
so  thick  that  we  could  only  advance  very  slowly,  valiantly  though 
we  hacked  out  a  road  for  ourselves  with  our  axes.  We  were 
nearly  two  days  without  finding  water,  but  a  cloudy  sky  veiled 
the  full  ardour  of  the  sun's  rays  from  us ;  and  when  the  last  drop 
in  our  barrels  was  exhausted,  we  came  unexpectedly  upon  a  pool. 
The  point  v/e  aimed  at  was  the  Bohoa  Mountain.  I  shall 
never  forget  the  view  that  met  our  eyes  on  the  day  when,  in 
order  to  discover  it,  we  climbed  the  first  hills  we  came  to.  From 
the  bosom  of  this  immense  forest,  in  which  we  had  been 
burrowing  like  moles,  wooded  slopes  rose  billowing  before  us, 
and  mountains  of  bare  rock,  to  which  trees  were  nevertheless 
clinging  and  struggling  for  existence.  Always  keeping  to  the 
northward,  we  at  last  reached  the  Nguanetsi  at  the  confluence 
of  its  two  streams,  and  then  wandered  about  for  two  days  before 
we  could  find  a  fordable  spot  among  the  enormous  rocks  that 
encumber  the  bed  of  this  river.  And  then  it  was  only  by  filling 
up  the  interstices  of  these  blocks  with  stones  and  trunks  of  trees, 
and  covering  a  very  slippery  boulder  with  sand,  that  we  were 
able  to  get  our  waggons  across.  It  was  near  there  that  we  met 
our  first  Monyai,  a  man  of  middle  age.  At  the  sight  of  us,  he 
fled  ;  but  seeing  we  were  upon  his  heels,  he  sat  down  and 
saluted  us,  trying  to  smile,  but  still  gripping  his  bow  and  arrows. 
Friendly  words  and  a  piece  of  meat  reassured  him.  He  gave 
us  some  information,  and  showed  us,  quite  close  by,  a  trap  for 
wild  beasts,  a  deep  pit  with  sharp  stakes  at  the  bottom,  and 
lightly  covered  with  grass.  We  shuddered  at  the  thought  of  the 
frightful  accident  that  might  have  happened  to  us,  if  God  had  not 
caused  us  to  meet  this  native.  The  next  morning,  the  flour  sack 
was  shaken  out  for  our  people's  breakfast.  But  He  who  sent 
ravens  to  the  brook  Cherith  to  feed  His  prophet  there  could  not 
forget  us.     That  very  day,  in  this  forest,  which  has  hitherto  been 


i877]  NYAMONTO'S  23 

so  solitary,  we  caught  sight  of  black  figures  hiding  behind  trees, 
who  cast  furtive  glances  at  us,  and  disappeared  like  shadows. 
Others,  growing  bolder,  approached  us  little  by  little,  and  before 
evening  they  brought  us  flour,  peas,  groundnuts,  rice,  etc.  The 
Lord  had  sent  us  abundance.  From  this  moment,  our  waggons 
were  besieged  by  natives  from  far  and  near,  who  escorted  us  day  by 
day,  and  bivouacked  beside  us  at  night,  to  satisfy  their  curiosity. 
The  news  of  our  coming  had  spread,  it  seems,  with  lightning 
speed  through  the  forests  and  mountains,  and  the  strangest 
tales  were  told  about  our  heavy  white  machines,  our  waggons. 

Between  the  Nguanetsi  and  the  Bohoa  Mountain,  we  arrived 
close  to  the  village  of  a  petty  chief  named  Nyamonto.  Like  all 
the  inhabitants  of  this  region,  he  lives  on  a  steep  hill,  strewn  with 
an  avalanche  of  rocks  ;  it  is  on  these  heights  that  one  spies  the 
huts  of  the  villages,  perched  there  like  eagles'  eyries.  Our  arrival 
was  greeted  from  afar  by  the  shouts  of  the  whole  population. 
After  exchanging  a  few  messages  with  this  chief,  I  climbed  his 
mountain,  accompanied  by  Asser.  Never  could  I  have  believed 
that  human  beings  could  inhabit  such  a  spot !  To  me,  it  seemed 
too  dangerous  even  for  baboons.  But  the  terror  with  which  the 
Matabele  inspire  these  poor  people  is  such  that  they  never  feel  safe 
except  in  these  inaccessible  places.  Agreeably  to  the  etiquette 
of  the  countr)^,  I  offered  a  piece  of  stuff  as  a  present  to  the  old 
chief,  who  seemed  to  be  in  a  bad  temper.  "  That  is  all  very  well 
for  a  child,"  he  said  ;  "  it  is  unworthy  of  Nyamonto "  ;  and  he 
left  us  abruptly  to  confer  with  his  council.  Then  sending  for 
me,  he  offered  me  with  much  ceremony  a  small  elephant's 
tusk.  "  The  eyes  of  Nyamonto,"  he  said  to  me,  "  have  seen  the 
man  of  God,  but  thou  hast  not  seen  Nyamonto."  "  Of  course 
not,"  1  replied,  "  since  Nyamonto  has  not  visited  me  yet  at  my 
waggon." 

Upon  that,  the  chief,  calling  his  men,  took  his  bow  and  arrows, 
and  gave  the  signal  for  departure.  He  descended,  sliding  and 
leaping  over  the  rocks  in  a  way  that  made  me  giddy.  I  paid 
my  respects  to  him  with  a  cotton  blanket,  and  his  face  lighted  up. 
"  Now,"  he  said,  "  thine  eyes  have  seen  Nyamonto."  Then  he 
proceeded  to  inspect  our  vehicles,  our  beasts,  etc.,  to  the  accom- 
paniment of  clappings  and  cries  of  astonishment,  very  amusing 
to  hear.  My  knowledge  of  Zulu  was  a  great  help  to  me  on  this 
and  subsequent  occasions.     My  interpreter,   who  was  also  the 


24  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

chief's  right-hand  man,  had  worked  in  the  diamond  fields,  and 
had  brought  back  some  very  undesirable  notions  therefrom.  He 
absolutely  refused  to  convey  to  his  chief  what  I  said  about  the 
benefits  of  the  Gospel.  "  If  God  loves  us,  why  do  the  Matabele 
destroy  us  ?  We  want  nothing  of  that  sort  here  ;  we  will  have 
none  of  it,"  said  he,  with  a  significant  gesture. 

A  little  farther  on,  we  met  six  or  seven  men,  sent  by  a  chie 
named  Masonda,  who  called  himself  the  son  of  Maliankombe,  and 
strongly  urged  us  to  go  to  his  place,  adding  that  it  was  our  best 
road  and  our  shortest.  We  had  no  reason  to  doubt  his  veracity 
or  refuse  his  invitation  ;  so  we  followed  our  new  guides,  gladly 
resigning  to  them  the  hatchets  which  had  grown  so  heavy  in 
our  hands.  We  crossed  the  Singczi,  and  then  the  Lundi,  a 
little  way  above  their  junction.  But  the  difficulties  presented 
by  these  rivers,  where  the  waggon  wheels  sank  up  to  their  naves, 
and  thirty  oxen  could  scarcely  stir  them,  can  only  be  under- 
stood by  those  who  have  travelled  in  similar  countries.  While 
ascending  the  steep  bank,  just  at  the  very  moment  we  thought 
ourselves  out  of  our  troubles,  the  trek-tow  (the  chain  to  which 
the  oxen  arc  attached)  broke,  four  times  over  ;  and  four  times 
the  waggon  rolled  violently  back  into  the  river.  We  closed 
our  eyes  in  terror,  but  it  was  neither  upset  nor  broken. 

Arrived  at  Masonda's,  we  outspanned  under  the  shade 
of  a  gigantic  tree  in  a  lovely  glade.  We  could  have  fancied 
ourselves  in  some  magnificent  park.  Above  the  labyrinthine 
valleys  rose  tier  upon  tier  of  heights,  colossal  piles  of  granite 
boulders  interspersed  with  tropical  vegetation.  It  was  on  one  of 
these  apparently  inaccessible  summits  that  our  new  friend  had 
fixed  his  residence.  He  received  us  with  abundant  protestations 
of  joy  and  friendship.  "  You  are  weary  ;  you  come  from  afar," 
he  said  ;  "  here  is  a  kid "  (it  \vdjs>  really  a  bullock)  ;  "  eat  and 
rest."  I  returned  the  compliment  by  sending  him  a  fine  woollen 
blanket,  which  he  seemed  to  appreciate. 

The  next  day  at  his  request  we  went  to  visit  this  chief, 
Masonda,  accompanied  by  our  ladies.  The  ascent  proved  steep, 
almost  impracticable,  and  under  the  burning  sun  wc  felt  utterly 
exhausted.  Wc  duly  announced  ourselves,  and  the  petty  poten- 
tate kept  us  dancing  attendance  out  on  the  rocks  in  the  noontide 
blaze  so  long  that  at  last  I  protested.  They  then  led  us  into 
a    cave,    formed  by    a    chaos    of  heaped-up    rocks.       A    crowd 


i877j  MASONDA'S    MOUNTAIN  25 

gathered  round  the  entrance,  and  increased  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  aroused  the  suspicions  of  our  evangelists.  "  We  arc 
blocked  in,"  one  of  them  whispered  in  my  car.  "  Blocked  in  ? 
Let  us  get  out  then  ! "  And  the  BanyaT  fell  back  to  let  us  pass. 
Thereupon  a  brother  of  Masonda  came  up,  who  said  he  was 
commissioned  to  do  us  the  honours  of  the  capital.  This 
personage,  who  had  the  most  unbounded  sense  of  his  own 
importance,  was  filthy,  scowling,  blind  in  one  eye,  and  deeply 
pitted  with  small-pox — the  very  personification  of  a  demon  ! 
He  seized  Mme.  Coillard  by  one  arm,  whilst  another  took 
her  by  the  other,  under  pretext  of  helping  her  to  climb  a 
steep,  slippery  rock  ;  and  two  more  of  equally  forbidding  aspect 
led  off  my  niece.  I  followed  just  behind  them,  full  of  vague 
uneasiness.  We  were  slowly  and  painfully  toiling  up,  when  one 
of  the  evangelists,  unable  to  contain  himself  any  longer,  said  to 
me  in  terror-struck  tones,  "  Where  are  they  leading  our  mother  ?  " 

I  started,  as  if  out  of  a  trance.  In  front  of  us  rose  the  sharp 
peak  ;  right  and  left,  no  sign  of  a  habitation  ;  beyond,  nothing 
— an  abyss  !  In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell,  I  had  sprung 
forward,  seized  my  wife,  and  snatched  her  from  the  hands  of  the 
savages.  Aaron  did  the  same  for  my  niece,  and  we  promptly 
redescended.  The  BanyaT  offered  us  no  opposition,  and  without 
further  parley  we  regained  the  camp.  A  messenger  followed 
close  upon  our  footsteps  to  tell  us  how  annoyed  Masonda  was 
at  our  hasty  departure.  "  I  have  not  seen  you,"  he  added,  "  but 
I  have  something  in  my  heart,  and  I  will  come  myself." 

This  he  did  ;  and  his  easy  manners,  and  his  countenance 
sparkling  with  intelligence,  made  a  good  impression  upon  us  ; 
while  in  the  minute  and  studied  etiquette  with  which  he 
approached  us,  there  was  something  quite  novel,  and  very 
interesting  to  us.  In  the  evening,  we  had  a  meeting  for  praise. 
"  O  God,"  said  one,  "  how  good,  how  faithful.  Thou  art !  Thou 
hast  led  us  through  the  desert  ;  Thou  hast  fed  us  and  quenched 
our  thirst  ;  Thou  hast  made  us  pass  over  great  rivers  ;  and  now 
Thou  hast  brought  us  to  the  BanyaT  land.  We  are  in  good 
health,  our  axes  are  keen,  our  waggons  light,  and  our  oxen 
have  grown  fat  under  the  yoke.  Thy  benefits  are  very  many  : 
who  can  count  them  ?  "     Our  hearts  responded  "  Amen." 

The  following  day,  which  was  Sunday,  messengers  came  from 
Masonda  to  ask   for  gunpowder.     This  was    what  he  "  had  in 


26  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1877 

his  heart."  "  Masonda  does  not  like  the  blanket  ;  he  wants  a 
canister  of  powder  and  a  box  of  caps."  I  explained  to  them 
that  I  was  not  a  trader,  but  a  messenger  of  peace,  and  that  I  had 
nothing  to  do  with  selling  powder ;  but  it  was  so  much  breath 
wasted  and  they  went  away  discontented.  Not  a  soul  came  near 
us  that  day.  In  the  evening,  Masonda  arrived  with  some  men, 
reiterating  his  demands  more  or  less  imperiously.  Then  I 
perceived  we  had  fallen  into  a  trap.  To  prove  my  amicable  in- 
tentions, I  offered  the  chief  another  present.  He  refused  it  with 
disdain  and  sat  down  sulkily  near  our  fire.  After  we  had  retired 
into  our  tent  to  have  tea,  one  of  our  people  came  and  said  in  a 
low  voice,  "  We  are  surrounded,  and  the  natives  are  still  coming 
down  from  the  mountain."  We  immediately  turned  towards 
Masonda,  who  was  devouring  a  piece  of  meat  we  had  given 
him,  and  in  friendly  tones  tried  to  persuade  him  to  go  away. 
Although  the  night  was  very  dark,  we  were  able  to  discern  the 
black  line  our  man  had  spoken  of.  The  chief  beset  us  with 
demands  of  all  sorts,  but  would  not  go  away.  He  wanted  a  dog, 
then  he  required  two,  then  he  wished  to  choose  one  himself, 
and  so  forth.  At  last  he  took  a  sudden  resolution  and  departed. 
"  I  shall  come  back  to-morrow,"  he  said  with  em.phasis. 

The  next  morning  at  sunrise,  our  waggons  began  to  move, 
for  we  felt  we  dared  not  delay.  It  proved  the  signal  for  a 
great  tumult  on  the  neighbouring  hills.  Troops  of  men  rushed 
towards  us,  uttering  fierce  cries,  and  armed  to  the  teeth  with 
assegais,  hatchets,  bows  and  arrows,  and  sharp  knives,  which 
they  carry  in  a  sheath  on  the  left  arm.  Some  few  even  had 
antiquated  firearms,  and  these  were  by  far  the  least  formidable  ! 
Having  arranged  the  v/aggons  side  by  side,  and  made  the 
women  and  children  go  inside,  I  went  up  to  the  chief,  who  was 
trembling  with  rage.  "  Powder !  caps  !  a  gun  ! "  he  shouted. 
At  last  I  made  him  accept  an  ox  in  place  of  the  one  he  had 
given  us  ;  he  must  needs  choose  it  for  himself,  and  it  was 
only  the  fifth  we  took  from  the  yoke  that  would  satisfy  him. 
After  that,  I  made  the  waggons  go  on,  dividing  the  crowd. 
"  May  Masonda  sleep  sound  and  in  peace !  "  cried  some  of  our 
people,  who  were  now  hoping  to  be  delivered  from  the  claws 
of  the  lion.  I  could  not  say  as  much  myself.  A  crowd  of  armed 
men  continued  to  press  round  our  waggon  in  a  way  that  was 
anything  but   reassuring.     We  were  advancing   with  difficulty. 


t877]  A   GREAT  DELIVERANCE  27 

when,  all  at  once,  my  waggon  sank  in  the  muddy  stream,  and 
all  our  efforts  to  drag  it  out  were  unavailing.  I  let  the  other 
waggons  pass  over  the  spur  of  a  hill  and  outspan  at  a  stone's 
throw  (for  we  had  started  so  early  the  oxen  had  not  had  time 
to  graze,  and  were  weak  for  want  of  food)  ;  and  while  we  were 
working  to  disengage  the  first  one,  my  wife  and  niece  sat  down 
under  a  tree  to  sew.  An  ever-increasing  circle  soon  formed 
around  them ;  and  a  native  standing  behind  the  tree  began 
jeering  and  brandishing  a  hatchet  a  few  inches  above  my  wife's 
head.  It  was  time  to  tell  these  people  to  withdraw  ;  but  the  young 
man,  who  gave  himself  airs  of  great  importance,  answered  me  so 
insolently  that  our  ladies  immediately  yielded  the  place  to  him. 

During  this  time  the  agitation  rose  higher  and  higher  around 
us.  Now  the  valley  was  overflowing  with  people,  and  re-echoing 
with  their  savage  cries.  It  was  Masonda  returning.  Then 
ensued  a  scene  I  feel  incapable  of  describing.  Masonda, 
standing  on  a  rock  and  foaming  with  fury,  disposed  his  troops 
so  as  to  surround  us,  ordered  them  to  take  away  our  oxen,  and 
dictated  his  terms  to  us.  "  So  many  sacks  of  powder,  so  many 
caps,  so  many  blankets,  so  many  guns,  and  you  shall  go." 

I  had  great  difficulty  in  restraining  our  people,  who  were 
already  running  for  their  guns.  "  We  will  die  for  our  wives 
and  children,"  they  said,  "  since  there  is  nothing  else  for  it,  but 
at  least  we  will  die  like  men." 

"  Like  men,  yes,  my  friends  ;  but  like  Christians  too.  Lay 
down  your  guns.  Put  your  trust  in  God,  and  remember  '  they 
that  be  with  us  arc  more  than  they  that  be  with  them.' "  ^ 

They  submitted — with  an  ill  grace  it  is  true  ;  but  I  thanked 
God,  for  the  first  shot  would  have  been  the  signal  for  a  general 
massacre  of  our  party. 

I  tried  in  vain  to  persuade  Masonda  to  bring  back  some  seven- 
teen oxen  he  had  carried  off ;  but  when  he  saw  I  was  having  the 
rest  yoked,  he  ordered  me  in  the  most  peremptory  manner  to 
desist.  However,  I  held  out,  and  the  oxen  were  inspanncd.  But 
during  this  time,  the  tumultuous  crowd,  led  by  a  "  seer,"  a  magi- 
cian, who  declared  himself  inspired,  rushed  towards  the  waggon, 
shrieking  wildly,  and  apparently  bent  on  pillage.  "  The  night  is 
falling,"  they  cried,  "  and  you  are  in  our  hands.     We  will  have 

*  2  Kings  vi.  14-17:  "The  mountain  was  full  of  horses  and  chariots  of  fire 
round  about." 


28  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

your  blood  and  everything  you  possess,  and  we  shall  see  if  your 
God  will  deliver  you." 

I  trembled  at  the  thought  that  one  blow  from  a  hatchet 
might  explode  the  chest  lying  outside  the  waggon,  which  con- 
tained our  whole  provision  of  powder.  Seeing  me  suddenly 
reappear  with  a  sjambok  ^  in  my  hand,  they  withdrew  a  short 
distance  ;  but  for  a  moment  I  thought  I  should  not  be  able  to 
hold  them  off  any  longer.  The  sun  was  going  down,  and  our 
position  became  more  critical  every  instant.  My  wife  on  her 
side  was  doing  her  own  work  ;  she  had  assembled  the  wives  and 
children  of  the  evangelists  round  her,  to  besiege  the  Throne  of 
Grace,  and  gather  strength  and  calmness  in  prayer. 

When  once  the  bullocks  were  inspanned,  we  thought  the  cry 
of  "  Trek  !  "  would  be  the  signal  for  a  hail  of  arrows  and  assegais. 
But  no  !  It  only  provoked  the  yells  of  the  infuriated  mob,  and 
the  bullocks  were  so  excited  thereby  that  they  gave  a  vigorous 
pull  at  the  yoke,  and  dragged  the  waggon  out ! 

The  effect  upon  the  natives  was  magical.  Those  who  were 
blocking  the  way  fell  back  to  let  us  pass  ;  the  others  made  no 
attempt  to  pursue  us.  But  while  we  had  been  inspanning,  a  troop 
of  them  had  carried  off  seventeen  of  our  other  oxen.  All  my 
efforts  to  obtain  another  interview  with  the  chief  were  in  vain, 
for  it  was  only  in  the  forest  he  would  grant  me  audience,  and 
there  he  summoned  me  imperiously  "  to  confer  with  him."  Not 
judging  it  prudent  to  follow  him  thither,  I  in  my  turn  sent  him 
this  message ;  "  Understand  that  these  seventeen  oxen  are  not 
mine  ;  they  are  the  property  of  the  God  Whom  we  serve,  and 
Who  has  delivered  us.  Beware  of  slaughtering  them  ;  tend 
them  well ;  and  one  day  it  will  not  be  I  who  will  send  for  them, 
but  you  who  will  bring  them  back  to  me  yourself — every  oner 

Meanwhile,  what  was  to  be  done  ?  Night  fell,  and  the  natives 
would  not  retire.  All  around  us,  their  fires  were  glowing  along 
the  edge  of  the  forest ;  we  could  even  hear  them  commenting 
with  much  animation  on  the  events  of  the  day.  And  then  it  was 
that  the  plot  revealed  itself,  which  laid  bare  the  horror  of  our 
adventure  two  days  before.  To  throw  our  ladies  down  from  the 
crag  we  were  climbing,  and  then  fall  upon  us,  massacre  every 
one,  and  plunder  our  possessions — such  had  been  their  design. 

'  Pronounced  shambuck:    a  riding-whip,  usually  made  of  hippopotamus 
hide,  short,  and  tapering  to  a  point. 


i877]  NYANIKOii  29 

"And  why  did  we  not  do  it?"  they  kept  asking  each  other, 
clacking  their  tongues. 

Still,  when  we  considered  it  calmly,  we  found  we  had  more 
reasons  for  thanksgiving  than  for  murmuring.  Our  lives  were 
safe  ;  though  our  goods  had  been  looted,  our  cases  had  not  been 
rifled ;  and  although  we  had  lost  a  good  many  bullocks,  thirty 
remained,  ten  for  each  waggon.  We  could  not  go  far,  for  the 
night  was  very  dark  ;  and  at  every  difficult  place  we  had  to 
double  the  teams.  We  had  to  resign  ourselves  to  wait  till  the 
morning.  The  natives  surrounded  us,  but  did  not  attack  us. 
Thus  "  the  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that 
fear  Him,  and  dclivereth  them." 

Next  day,  a  troop  of  men  from  Maliankombe  came  to  meet 
us,  and  brought  us  to  Nyanikoe  without  further  adventure. 
The  chief  received  us  with  great  reserve.  We  were  arriving 
like  mariners  escaped  from  shipwreck.  Maliankombe  sent  to 
Masonda  to  enquire  what  had  just  been  happening,  but  a  man 
whom  I  sent  with  his  messenger  was  not  received.  What  came 
back  to  us  were  Masonda's  claims.  "  Give  me  ten  sacks  of 
powder,  and  a  waggon  loaded  with  your  baggage,  and  you  shall 
have  your  oxen."  Now,  the  chiefs  of  the  place  where  we  were 
began  to  carry  out  a  system  of  spoliation  on  their  own  part,  be- 
yond all  reason  and  ruinous  in  the  highest  degree.  Our  relations 
narrowly  missed  being  broken  off  altogether.  We  discovered  that 
the  Banyai'  pay  tribute  to  Lobengula,  supreme  chief  of  the  Mata- 
bele,  and  any  Matabele  who  comes  this  way  holds  his  head  high 
and  permits  himself  to  insult  chiefs  and  subjects  with  impunity. 

(Extract  from  a  letter  of  Mme.  Coillard's,  dated  September  15th.) 

"Yesterday  forenoon  I  was  lying  in  the  waggon  (the 
thermometer  was  92"  ;  I  felt  quite  overcome),  when  I  heard  a 
loud  noise  behind,  and  saw  a  native  leap  over  the  fence  which 
we  have  had  put  round  our  camp,  to  keep  our  importunate 
visitors  off,  who  come  by  hundreds  before  daybreak,  and  only 
leave  after  sunset.  I  saw  in  a  moment,  by  the  polished  ring 
this  man  had  on  the  top  of  his  head,  that  he  was  none  other 
than  a  Matabele  warrior.  He  gesticulated  and  shouted,  '  Here 
I  am  ;  I  have  arrived  at  last.  How  dare  you  come  here  without 
our  consent  ?  Lobengula  has  sent  me  to  claim  tribute,  and 
to   tell    3''ou  Masonda    did  well  to  despoil    you,    for   you  have 


30  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1877 

no  business  here  unknown  to  us.'  F.  put  him  out  of  the 
enclosure,  and  told  him  if  he  had  any  just  claims  they  would  be 
listened  to,  but  there  must  be  no  noise.  We  see  that  this  man 
has  right  on  his  side,  but  that  he  tried  to  frighten  us  by  exag- 
gerating :  we  think  he  is  one  of  Lobengula's  numerous  spies,  but 
we  wish  to  have  to  do  with  the  chief,  not  with  each  one  of  his 
subordinates,  and  we  fear  that  we  must  ourselves  go  to  Inyati." 

(F.  Coillard's  narrative  continued.) 

Thereupon  I  decided  to  send  messengers  to  Lobengula,  and 
to  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  open  communications 
with  the  missionaries  of  Inyati.  But  you  have  no  idea  of  the 
prudence,  patience,  and  perseverance  demanded  for  dealing  with 
the  various  susceptibilities  of  these  BanyaT.  Finally,  Asser  has 
gone  off  with  one  of  our  young  men  who  speaks  Zulu,  and  the  chief 
has  sent  his  brother  to  accompany  them.  For  a  moment,  we  had 
been  on  the  point  of  going  ourselves  ;  but  the  thought  of  leaving 
our  people  and  property  here,  and  the  fear  of  being  surprised 
by  the  rains,  made  us  give  up  the  idea.  The  impossibility  of 
our  travelling  with  so  few  oxen  also  seemed  to  us  a  manifesta- 
tion of  God's  will.  When  Asser  comes  back,  we  shall  place 
him  here  with  Aaron,  and  we  think  of  then  going  as  far  as 
the  chief  Zemito,  where  Andreas  and  Azael  can  be  installed, 
and  where  we  ourselves  shall  pass  the  rainy  season.  I  can  say 
no  more  about  our  plans.     We  desire  to  be  led  step  by  step, 

I  send  this  letter  by  Mr.  Hofmeyr's  people,  who  are  return- 
ing home.  They  have  been  a  great  help  to  us,  and  have  so 
thoroughly  identified  themselves  with  us,  that  it  costs  us  a  great 
deal  to  part  with  them.     They  have  quite  won  our  hearts.^ 

•  As  far  as  it  can  be  identified  on  modern  maps,  with  which  Baines's  chart 
does  not  correspond  very  clearly,  the  scene  of  this  adventnre  seems  to  have 
been  what  is  now  called  Providential  Gorge,  near  Fort  Victoria  ;  but  it  is  not 
quite  certain  that  it  was  not  a  valley  which  runs  parallel  to  this.  When  the 
B.  S.  A.  Co.'s  pioneers  passed  through  the  ravine,  and  gave  it  its  name  (some 
ten  years  later),  the  Banyai  assured  them  that  no  white  men  had  ever  been  there 
before  ;  but  this  in  itself  would  not  disprove  the  identification,  for  the  Banyai 
seem  to  have  extraordinarily  short  memories  ;  and  besides,  their  statements, 
to  say  the  least,  are  not  to  be  implicitly  relied  upon. 

M.  Coillard's  official  intercourse  with  the  Banyai  chiefs  was  conducted  by 
an  interpreter,  but  he  managed  to  understand  their  language  fairly  well,  from 
its  affinity  with  Zulu,  and  these  too  could  follow  him  when  he  spoke  the 
latter  tongue.  Asser,  the  catechist,  of  course  knew  the  Senyai  quite  well, 
from  having  lived  in  the  country. 


CHAPTER    III 

Alone  among  the  Banj'ai" — Treacherous  Cowards — Carried  to  Bulawayo  — 
Cattle  restored — Lobengula's  Captives — An  Embarrassing  Interview — A 
Month's  Probation — Permission  for  Banyai  Mission  refused— Mission  to 
Mozila  proposed — Alternative  Plans — The  North  Bank  of  the  Zambesi 
proposed — Sickness  and  Discouragement — Lobengula's  Second  and  Final 
Refusal — Dismissal. 

Bulawayo,  January  \%th,   1878. 

JT  was  on  December  15th  that  our  waggons  stopped  before 
Bulawayo.  It  was  not  till  to-day  that  the  chief,  Lobcngula, 
would  consent  to  discuss  our  business  officially. 

For  two  months,  we  awaited  Asser's  return  from  Bulawayo. 
It  would  take  a  volume  to  recount  our  various  experiences 
and  distresses  during  this  time.  We  were  exposed  to  the 
greatest  dangers.  The  country  is  a  perfect  slaughter-house  ; 
and  there  is  no  central  authority  of  any  sort.  The  independent 
villages,  perched  as  they  are  upon  the  most  inaccessible  heights, 
are  constantly  at  war  with  one  another. 

The  prevailing  insecurity  is  such  that  a  Monyai  never 
ventures  into  his  fields  alone,  nor  yet  without  his  weapons. 
By  night  as  by  day,  at  home  or  abroad,  he  always  carries  his 
assegais,  bow  and  arrows,  and  on  his  left  arm  the  terrible  cut- 
lass, which,  on  the  slightest  provocation  or  suspicion  of  danger, 
is  instantly  unsheathed.  If  he  is  not  called  upon  to  defend 
himself,  he  is  all  the  better  able  to  attack  other  people — a 
proceeding  from  which  he  is  never  deterred  for  want  of  a  pretext. 
It  was  a  hard  time  for  us,  alone  among  these  savages,  of  whose 
language  and  customs  we  were  alike  ignorant.  The  Banyai", 
who  go  almost  completely  naked,  have  few  wants  ;  a  bit  of 
calico  or  a  bead  necklace  is  all  they  need.  Nevertheless,  if 
we  refused  to  buy  their  sky-blue  milk  or  the  siftings  of  their 
flour,   we   could    not    escape   violent   altercations,   wherein   the 


32  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [187S 

cutlass  gleamed  among  their  flowers  of  rhetoric !  The  chief 
Chibi  nearly  murdered  me,  and  would  have  succeeded,  had  not 
Aaron  flung  himself  between  my  person  and  his  knife. 

And  with  all  that,  what  cowards  they  were  !  Did  but  the 
shadow  of  a  Matabele  darken  the  horizon,  cries  of  terror 
resounded  on  all  sides.  A  general  stampede  took  place,  and 
each  man  fled  with  his  small  cattle,  and  hid  in  the  caverns  and 
underground  passages  of  his  mountain.^  For  us,  as  for  them- 
selves, the  alarms  were  of  daily  occurrence. 

At  last,  one  day,  they  had  real  cause  for  panic.  An  armed 
force  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  commanded  by  three  chiefs, 
took  up  its  quarters  beside  us.  It  had  been  sent  by  Lobcngula, 
who,  furious  at  our  having  penetrated  unknown  to  him  into 
a  country  which  it  was  his  interest  to  keep  closed  to  Europeans, 
had  scornfully  refused  to  accept  my  presents  and  salutations. 
After  forcing  Masonda  to  give  back  everything  he  had  stolen 
from  us,  including  the  seventeen  oxen  to  enable  us  to  travel 
faster,  the  chiefs  ordered  us  to  raise  our  camp,  and,  in  fact, 
made  us  their  prisoners. 

Poor  Banyai !  When  they  saw  us  going,  they  understood 
that  they  were  losing  friends  ;  and  in  spite  of  their  terrors,  we 
saw  them  there  grouped  about  the  rocks,  and  heard  them 
lamenting. 

How  shall  I  describe  what  we  went  through,  during  those 
three  weeks  of  forced  marches,  across  a  country  without  roads, 
rivers  without  fords,  marshy  valleys,  and  rocky  wooded  hills  ! 
Our  every  movement  was  watched.  If  we  dared  to  wash 
ourselves  in  a  wayside  stream,  it  was  a  crime.  Did  we  not 
know  that  we  must  appear  before  his  Majesty  covered  with 
dust  and  sweat,  in  proof  of  our  eagerness  to  obey  him?  If  we 
dared  to  pluck  a  flower,  we  were  accused  of  taking  specimens, 
in  order  to  seize  the  whole  country  afterwards.  Writing  ?  Who 
could  say  what  black  art  we  might  be  practising  against  them, 
and  what  calamities  we  might  not  be  bringing  down  upon 
them  !     And  every  day  runners  were  despatched  to  the  capital. 

At  length,  we  came  in  sight  of  Bulawayo.  We  were  already 
climbing  the  furrowed  slopes  of  the  ravines,  when  a  messenger 

1  See  Colonel  Baden-Powell's  "Matabele  War"  for  more  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  these  "mountains,"  and  a  sketch  "elevation"  and  "section,"  showing 
the  caves  and  subterranean  passages. 


1878]  L015ENGULA  33 

came  with  the  order  that  we  were  to  stop  just  where  we  were, 
without  taking  a  single  step  farther  to  choose  a  more  suitable 
spot.  Towards  evening,  one  of  those  magicians,  whose  repulsive 
aspect  is  pretty  familiar  to  us  by  this  time,  arrived  at  the  head 
of  a  company. 

Our  soldiers  instantly  rose,  formed  ranks,  and  stood  at 
attention.  The  witch-doctor,  dipping  a  gnu's  tail  into  some 
slimy  greenish  mixture,  sprinkled  them  with  it  back  and 
front.  This  was  a  ceremony  of  exorcism.  Then,  turning 
abruptly  towards  us,  he  made  us  all  pass  through  the  same 
disgusting  rite ;  our  waggons,  our  oxen,  men,  women,  and 
children,  no  one  escaped.  "And  this  man,"  he  said,  fixing 
his  gleaming  eyes  upon  me,  "  give  him  a  double  dose  ;  he 
is  the  arch-sorcerer."  And  a  double  dose  I  had,  right  in 
my  face,  and  all  over  my  clothes.  All  this  was  not  calculated 
to  reassure  us. 

We  spent  two  days  thus,  carefully  watched  and  guarded. 
No  one  dared  approach  our  vehicles ;  and  every  one  went  a 
long  way  round  to  avoid  us.  The  third  day  was  Sunday,  and 
in  the  afternoon  a  messenger  came  to  summon  me  to  the  king's 
presence.     "  Run,  white  man  ;  the  king  is  calling  you."  ^ 

But  the  nearer  I  came,  the  less  I  felt  disposed  to  hurry 
myself. 

I  passed  from  one  court  into  another.  Naked  men,  with 
crowns  of  polished  leather  encircling  their  heads  in  token  of 
their  manhood,  were  squatting  in  dead  silence  all  around.  In 
the  centre  stood  a  waggon,  and  I  noticed  a  corpulent  but 
pleasant-faced  man,  carelessly  leaning  on  his  elbows  upon  the 
packing-case  which  served  as  a  coach-box.  His  smooth  hands, 
his  nails  of  exaggerated  length,  the  monkey  skins  he  wore  about 
his  loins,  the  men  who  approached  him  bowing,  all  told  me 
that  this  was  Lobengula  himself.  I  saluted  him  ;  he  saluted 
me  in  Sesuto,  and  an  embarrassing  silence  ensued. 

"  Where  is  your  wife  ? "  he  asked  me  at  length,  using  the 
second  person  singular. 

"  At  our  camp." 

"  Why  didn't  yc)U  bring  her  here  to  see  me?" 

'  The  insulting  terms  of  the  message  can  hardly  be  translated.  An 
equivalent  on  our  part  would  perhaps  be,  "  Look  sharp,  nigger,  or  it  will  be 
the  worse  for  you." 


34  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1878 

"  Because  amongst  us  it  is  not  customary  for  ladies  to  visit 
gentlemen  first." 

Another  pause. 

"  Moruti,  where  is  your  wife  ?  " 

"  Morena  "  (chief),  "  she  is  at  my  camp." 

"  Why  have  you  not  brought  her  to  see  me  ?  " 

"  Because  with  us  it  is  the  gentlemen  who  go  to  pay  their 
respects  to  the  ladies,  and  not  the  ladies  to  the  gentlemen." 

"  Yd  bo  !     Is  that  possible  ?  " 

A  third  pause,  followed  by  a  third  repetition  of  the  same 
conversation,  and  another  interval  of  silence. 

Feeling  that  this  interview  was  quite  as  uncomfortable  for 
his  Majesty  as  for  me,  I  took  leave,  I  had  seen  his  face,  and 
thenceforward  our  escort  left  us,  and  we  felt  more  at  liberty. 

My  strange  conversation  had  much  impressed  me.  I  had 
indeed  tried  to  say  a  word  about  our  expedition,  but  Lobengula 
silenced  me  at  once,  saying  the  moment  had  not  come.  The  idea 
occurred  to  me  that  Mme.  Coillard  might  be  more  successful. 
It  cost  her  a  good  deal  to  appear  before  this  tyrant,  not 
knowing  what  his  intentions  towards  us  might  be ;  but  she 
yielded. 

On  her  arrival,  he  came  out  of  his  hut,  and,  taking  her 
hand,  escorted  her  to  the  shadow  of  his  waggon.  There  he 
took  his  seat  upon  a  soap-box,  saying  to  her,  "  Sit  down  there 
on  the  ground,  and  let  us  have  a  chat." 

"  On  the  ground  ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  With  us,  ladies  do  not 
sit  on  the  ground.  Is  there  not  a  box  or  a  block  of  wood 
somewhere  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  he  replied,  and  rose  with  great  alacrity  to  fetch 
her  a  seat,  "  You  have  come  a  long  way,"  he  said,  looking  very 
straight  at  her.     "  You  must  be  very  tired." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mme.  Coillard.  "  We  have  come  a  long  way, 
and  we  are  very  tired."  Then,  with  her  habitual  calm  and 
charm  of  manner,  she  recounted  our  journey  and  the  object 
of  it,  our  experiences  among  the  Banyai,  and  everything  else. 
Not  once  did  he  interrupt  her,  unless  it  was  to  ask  a  question. 
He  was  conquered. 

"  I  did  not  know  all  that,"  he  remarked  ;  "  but  we  will  talk 
about  it  later  on." 

Since  then  he  has  been  very  friendly.     He  made  us  camp 


«878]  LOBENGULA'S   CRUELTY  35 

quite  near  him,  and  always  sends  us  meat,  "  the  portion  of 
honour,"  which  no  one  else  but  himself  may  touch.  But  he 
would  not  discuss  our  business,  and  kept  putting  it  off  for  the 
Council  of  Chiefs  which  will  assemble  later  on. 

We  do  not  regret  this  delay.  On  the  contrary,  we  are  very 
glad  of  this  opportunity  of  making  acquaintance  with  the  king, 
and  making  ourselves  known  to  him,  although  it  obliges  us 
too  often  to  be  the  unwilling  witnesses  of  his  hideous  cruelties. 
One  day,  for  instance,  I  was  sitting  in  his  court,  when  a  little 
herdboy  came  in,  and,  on  being  questioned  about  some  trifling 
offence,  began  to  prevaricate.  Lobengula  ordered  him  to  come 
and  crouch  down  before  him,  while  he  sat  silent,  every  now  and 
then  glaring  at  the  cowering  boy.  Presently  he  sprang  up  and 
said,  "  That  lying  mouth  must  be  punished."  He  ordered  four 
men  to  hold  him  down  backwards  on  the  ground,  and,  seizing 
a  glowing  brand,  himself  knelt  on  his  chest,  and  applied  it  to 
his  lips.  In  vain  I  pleaded  for  a  milder  punishment.  Next 
day  the  poor  little  fellow's  lips  were  quite  burnt  away. 

However,  to  ourselves  personally  he  has  shown  himself 
very  affable.  He  has  often  come  to  see  us,  apparently  finding 
as  much  pleasure  in  chatting  with  us  as  in  drinking  a  cup  of 
coffee.  What  gave  us  chief  pleasure,  however,  was  that  he 
sent  for  Mr.  Sykes  (of  the  L.M.S.),  so  that  he  should  be  present 
at  the  discussion  of  our  business.  This  friend  lost  no  time  in 
responding  to  Lobengula's  summons  ;  nevertheless,  he  was  kept 
waiting  for  ten  or  twelve  days.  At  last  the  chief  decided  to 
deal  with  a  question  which  he  evidently  finds  a  very  thorny  one. 
His  pride  had  been  hurt  to  think  we  could  possibly  have  been 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that  the  Banyai  were  "  his  dogs,"  his  slaves. 
He  understood  this,  however  ;  but  he  does  not  wish,  he  says, 
that  his  slaves  should  be  taught.  His  own  country  is  already 
provided  with  missionaries.  He  will  soon  have  four,  and  he 
does  not  want  any  more.  He  questioned  me  closely  as  to  who 
had  sent  us,  and  what  part  the  Basuto  chiefs  had  in  this 
expedition.  My  reply  was  perfectly  straightforward.  I  tried  to 
make  him  understand  that  it  was  the  Churches  which  had  sent 
the  catechists,  and  that  the  chiefs  had  shown  their  goodwill  by 
contributing  like  others  to  the  good  work.  As  he  was  insisting 
that  w^e  should  return  to  those  who  had  sent  us,  I  pointed  out 
to  him  that   such  a  proceeding  would   not  be  understood.     It 


36  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

might  have  passed  if  he  had  sent  us  back  from  Nyanikoe  ;  but 
it  was  no  longer  possible,  after  his  having  sent  for  us,  accepted 
our  salutations,  and  treated  us  with  kindness.  He  then  said 
that  he  would  not  give  his  reply  yet,  and  that  he  would  refer 
the  matter  to  his  headmen,  who  were  to  assemble  for  some 
great  ceremonies  at  the  end  of  the  month.  My  impression — 
and  Mr,  Sykes's  too — is  that  the  chief  is  personally  very  favour- 
able to  us,  but  that  he  finds  himself  in  a  difficult  position.  He 
has  his  hands  full  this  year.  Some  European  hunters  have  been 
maltreated  by  his  people,  and  have  gone  away  with  anger  and 
threats.  Expedition  after  expedition  arrives,  asking  permission 
to  go  to  these  same  Banyai,  one  to  explore  the  country,  another 
to  look  for  gold,  etc.  He  has  refused  each  request  peremptorily, 
without  even  giving  them  the  satisfaction  of  a  discussion.  So 
how  could  he  grant  ours  ?  But  all  the  same,  it  costs  him  some- 
thing to  refuse  us.  I  fear  that  if  he  proposes  to  consult  his 
headmen,  it  will  only  be  as  a  pretext  for  shirking  his  respon- 
sibility. They  are  all  opposed  to  our  going  to  the  Banyaf ; 
"  for,"  they  say,  "  if  Lobengula  once  allows  that,  where  shall  we 
go  raiding  ?  "     That  is  the  root  of  the  matter. 

I  hope  that  the  chief  will  consent  to  a  compromise,  and 
allow  us  to  settle  among  the  Makalaka,  who  are  more  imme- 
diately under  his  power,  or  who  at  least  recognise  it  and  submit 
to  it.  The  L.M.S.  missionaries  would  approve  of  us,  and  would 
not  say  we  were  encroaching  on  their  territory.  But  I  doubt 
whether  Lobengula  will  consent  even  to  that.  "  Go  to  Mozila's," 
he  says,  "  where  there  are  no  missionaries."  The  River  Sabi  is 
the  frontier  between  Mozila  and  the  Matabele.  Apart  from  the 
Matabele  and  Mozila's  people,  all  the  other  tribes  are  reduced 
to  the  same  state  of  slavery.  Such  are  the  Banyai,  the  Maka- 
laka, the  Mashona,  etc.,  which  once  formed  part  of  the  powerful 
kingdom  of  the  Balotsoe  which  Moselikatse  ruined.  Please 
take  particular  note  of  this  fact :  there  is  no  independent  tribe 
on  this  side  of  the  Zambesi,  except  the  people  of  Lobengula 
and  of  Mozila.  It  is  said  that  this  latter  is  very  hostile  to  the 
white  man.  The  question  of  going  to  him  would  require  the 
most  serious  consideration.  Another  fact  which  I  should  point 
out  to  you  for  your  guidance  is  that  the  region  we  were  in  is 
evidently  a  hotbed  of  fever.  It  was  not  the  country  which  was 
represented   to   us  as  being  perfectly  healthy,  and  people  here 


1878]  PRISONERS   AT    HULAVVAYO  37 

consider  it  providential  that  wc  quitted  it  in  time.  The  L.M.S. 
is  going  to  begin  a  work  on  Lake  Ngami  at  SechiUatebe's.  On 
this  side  of  the  Zambesi,  from  the  lake  as  far  as  the  gold  mines 
Baines  discovered  in  Mashona-land  ^  (at  the  north  point  of  the 
mountains  marked  on  his  map),  the  Matabele  have  devastated 
everything  ;  there  is  no  longer  the  vestige  of  any  population. 
I  have  heard  this  on  good  authority.  There  still  remains  the 
other  side  of  the  Zambesi ;  but  before  daring  to  cross  it,  even  in 
thought,  let  us  pause  and  pray  ! 

I  assure  you,  I  have  great  difficulty  in  resisting  the  current 
of  discouragement  which  is  bearing  down  every  one  around  me. 
But  I  have  a  profound  conviction  that  God  will  open  some  door 
for  us,  and  that  all  the  sacrifices  which  the  poor  Churches  of 
Basuto-land  have  made,  all  the  prayers  which  have  been,  and 
are  still  being,  offered,  will  not  be  unavailing.  We  ourselver- 
are  ready  for  anything,  but  less  for  returning  to  Basuto-land 
than  for  any  other  course.  VVe  are  in  the  field,  and  not  thinking 
of  our  hearths  just  yet. 

My  wife  has  been  threatened  with  rheumatic  fever,  whicli 
has  kept  her  in  bed  for  several  days.  I  myself  have  been 
suffering  from  nervous  ophthalmia  for  nearly  a  fortnight.  But 
now  we  are  well,  thank  God !  and  so  are  all  our  people ;  and 
they  would  be  perfectly  happy,  were  it  not  for  the  heavy  cloud 
lowering  over  us.  This  is  only  natural  ;  indeed,  it  would  not  be 
right,  if  joy  and  singing  could  go  on  in  the  camp  as  usual. 

Matabele-land,  March  i^th,  1878. 

The  gloomiest  predictions  of  those  who  profess  to  under- 
stand the  true  state  of  affairs  here  have  been  more  than  realised. 

After  the  great  national  festival,  the  sacrifice  of  fifteen 
human  lives  and  the  customary  purifications,  Lobengula  remem- 
bered us.  He  sent  for  our  friend  Mr.  Sykes,  of  the  L.M.S. , 
who,  in  spite  of  the  incessant  rain,  hastened  to  come  with  all 
his  family.  We  went  together  to  the  new  camp  of  the  Matabele 
king,  who  leads  a  semi-nomadic  life.  We  still  had  to  await  his 
good  pleasure  for  three  or  four  weeks. 

The  Great  Ones  of  the  Nation  at  last  assembled.  They  had 
a  private  conference  with  their  master,  which  lasted  a  whole  day — 

*  The  Fort  Salisbury  region. 


38  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

and  I  do  not  suppose  it  was  the  first  one.  The  next  day  the  chiefs 
held  their  assembly,  to  which  we  were  admitted,  at  our  camp.  We 
expected  all  the  etiquette  and  decorum  which  are  so  rigorously 
exacted  in  Basuto-land  under  similar  circumstances.  But  it  was 
with  Matabele  we  had  now  to  do.  Every  one  spoke  at  once, 
each  one  louder  than  the  other.  They  rained  questions  upon  us, 
without  giving  us  time  to  reply.  We  were  reproached  with  the 
road  we  had  made  for  ourselves  into  the  Banyaf  country  ;  then 
with  the  fact  that  we  had  no  official  character,  not  having  been 
sent  by  the  supreme  chief  of  the  Basuto.  We  were  prepared 
for  all  that,  but  these  were  only  the  preliminaries.  The  stalking- 
horse  of  these  wily  diplomatists  was  the  affair  of  Langalabalele.^ 
"  Tell  us  his  crime  ?  In  what  country,  in  what  place,  by  whom 
was  he  betrayed  and  made  prisoner  ?  "  In  vain  we  attempted 
to  explain  to  them  that  the  Basuto  have  lost  their  independence 
that  they  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  the  acts  of  the  English 
Government,  and  that,  as  regards  ourselves,  we  have  absolutely 
nothing  to  do  with  political  questions  :  in  vain  Mr.  Sykes  told 
them,  in  language  they  could  not  fail  to  comprehend,  "  Who 
can  know  the  heart  of  a  king  and  sound  its  depths  ?  Did  you 
know  Moselikatse's  ?  "  It  only  brought  down  on  us  a  volley  of 
such  abuse  as  made  our  people  tremble.  In  fact,  it  was  really 
against  them  that  they  had  a  quarrel.  They  put  me  on  one 
side,  and  made  me  all  sorts  of  professions  of  confidence  and 
consideration  and  goodwill.  "  But  you  Basuto,"  they  cried, 
with  threatening  gestures, "  you  smell  of  Molapo,  that  unworthy 
son  of  Moshesh,  who  betrayed  and  sold  Langalabalele  !  Wc 
fear  you.  We  shudder  at  the  very  sight  of  you.  Allow  you 
to  settle  in  our  territory  ?  Never  I  Never  !  There  is  the  road 
which  leads  out  of  our  country — begone !  " 

'  Langalabalele,  a  chief  ot  the  same  race  as  the  Matabele,  but  living  in 
Natal,  where  they  themselves  originated.  Four  or  five  years  ago,  this  chief, 
having,  by  purchases  of  arms,  drawn  upon  liimself  the  suspicion  of  wishing 
to  revolt  against  the  British  in  Natal,  was  summoned  to  appear  before  the 
Governor.  Instead  of  obeying,  he  crossed  the  frontier  with  all  his  people,  and 
took  refuge  in  the  territory  of  Molapo,  son  of  Moshesh.  The  British  authority 
in  Basuto-land  then  ordered  Molapo  to  help  in  the  capture  of  Langalabalele, 
which  he  was  obliged  to  do,  or  else  be  treated  as  a  rebel  himself.  Molapo 
effected  this  capture,  however,  in  the  most  treacherous  way  possible,  inviting 
Langalabalele  and  his  followers  to  a  friendly  reception,  and  then  delivering 
them  over  to  the  British. 


1878]  DISMISSED   FROM   MATABELE-LAND  39 

Strange  to  say,  Mr.  Sykes  and  I  did  not  lose  all  hope 
even  then.  We  tried  to  persuade  ourselves  that  the  Matabele 
dignitaries  wished  to  make  us  appreciate  their  favour,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  put  in  their  place  those  people  whom  they 
despised  while  yet  feeling  their  superiority.  Cruel  illusion ! 
The  chief  called  us,  for  this  conference  had  taken  place  at  our 
camp,  and  he  had  abstained  from  taking  part  in  it.  We  passed 
long  hours  there  in  his  court,  sitting  on  the  ground  in  the  full 
blaze  of  the  sun,  silent  and  gloomy,  as  if  awaiting  the  hour  of 
a  burial.  Lobengula  was  in  his  shed,  as  silent  as  ourselves,  but 
in  the  shade !  It  was  only  towards  sunset  that  he  broke  the 
silence.  This  audience  was  but  a  painful  repetition  of  the 
morning's  conference,  with  no  more  decorum  and  a  good  deal 
more  abuse.  The  king  gave  the  keynote,  and  the  great  chiefs, 
vying  with  each  other,  fell  upon  our  evangelists  like  dogs 
unchained.  Lobengula  insisted  upon  the  distinction  he  had 
already  striven  to  establish  between  our  people  and  ourselves, 
declaring  that,  if  I  had  been  alone,  neither  he  nor  his  people 
would  have  had  any  objection  to  treating  with  me,  but  that, 
as  for  the  Basuto  catechists,  he  would  under  no  consideration 
permit  them  to  remain  in  his  country — entirely,  as  he  said, 
on  account  of  this  unhappy  affair  of  Langalabalele,  and  of  the 
odious  treachery  of  Molapo.  Our  brother,  Mr.  Sykes — let  me 
say  it  to  his  honour — did  not  leave  me  alone  in  the  breach ; 
and  he  too  received  his  share  of  insults. 

And  so  ended  this  official  audience  which  we  had  waited  for 
so  long.  We  fancied  ourselves  under  the  influence  of  some 
frightful  nightmare  ;  we  could  no  longer  recognise  the  son  of 
Moselikatse,  who  for  more  than  two  months  had  treated  us  with 
so  much  consideration  and  cordiality.  We  might  well  repeat, 
"  The  heart  of  a  king  is  unsearchable !  " — especially  of  a  Matabele 
king.  We  stood  as  if  nailed  to  the  earth  ;  but  when  all  the 
chiefs  one  after  another  had  done  homage  to  their  master  and 
taken  leave,  we  too  were  obliged  to  salute  him  and  depart. 
We  met  in  a  tent  to  pray,  but  only  tears  could  have  eased  our 
hearts. 

Four  days  have  passed  since  then.  The  chief  and  his  sister, 
surprised  that  I  had  not  visited  them  as  usual,  asked  for  me. 
They  are  evidently  very  ill  at  ease.  Lobengula  tried  to  throw 
all  the  responsibility  of  the  affair  on  to  his  chiefs,  and  reiterated 


4©  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

his  protestations  of  benevolence  towards  me  personally.  I  felt 
all  the  advantage  of  my  position.  I  had  never  spoken  his 
tongue  with  such  facility  ;  and  to  this  potentate,  surfeited  with 
the  most  abject  flatteries,  it  was  given  me  to  use  a  language 
full  of  respect  certainly,  but  full  also  of  truth  and  plain-dealing. 
"  Chief,  I  also  am  a  Mosuto.  I  am  one  with  my  people ;  I  am 
at  their  head.  The  blow  which  strikes  them  strikes  me  first. 
What  grieves  me,  and  will  grieve  all  our  friends,  is  that,  after 
permitting  us  to  see  your  face,  and  treating  us  with  so  much 
kindness,  you  are  now  driving  us  ignominiously  out  of  your 
country,  and  for  an  affair  with  which  we  have  absolutely 
nothing  to  do."  He  was  silent  and  hung  his  head  ;  then,  as 
if  to  acquit  his  conscience,  he  added  in  a  low  voice,  "  If  I  had 
known  all  that,  perhaps  we  should  have  spoken  otherwise." 
Yes,  perhaps  !  Nevertheless,  the  verdict  of  his  council  remains, 
and  we  are  now  preparing  our  waggons  to  take  the  road  pointed 
out  to  us,  which  leads  "out  of  the  country."  So  this  is  what 
our  missionary  expedition  has  come  to !  After  nearly  a  year's 
travelling,  what  is  the  result  ? 

And  now,  will  you  ask  what  we  are  going  to  do?  The  first 
thing  is,  not  to  lose  courage.  And  why  should  we  lose  courage  ? 
There  is  nothing  extraordinary  in  our  circumstances.  Jesus 
and  His  Apostles  have  gone  through  the  same,  as  their  blood- 
stained traces  testify.  The  ways  of  the  Lord  are  not  our  ways, 
and  His  thoughts  not  our  thoughts.  Should  we  forget  this  ? 
We  spoke  of  the  Banyai",  and  their  name  was  already  dear  to 
us.  But  who  knows  if  the  Lord  has  not  other  views  than  ours, 
other  people  for  us  to  evangelise?  If  Lobengula  had  simply 
and  frankly  refused  to  allow  us  to  go  amongst  his  slave 
tribes,  it  seems  to  us  that  our  horizon  would  not  have  been 
so  dark.  But  this  unhappy  affair  of  Langalabalele,  \Ahich  his 
people  make  the  pivot  of  all  their  abuse,  almost  hopelessly  shuts 
for  us  the  door  of  nearly  every  Zulu  tribe.  It  is  impossible  at 
present  even  to  think  of  knocking  at  the  door  of  Mozila,  this 
other  Moselikatse,  the  terror  of  all  the  tribes  from  the  Sabi 
to  Sofala. 

It  is  true  we  have  met  some  people  at  Bulawayo  who  come 
from  the  north  side  of  the  Zambesi.  They  have  taken  refuge 
here  to  save  their  lives  ;  for  their  country,  it  seems,  is  frequently 
subject  to  revolutions,  and  human  life  is  very  cheap.    What  struck 


ib78]  FIRST   MEETING   WITH   THE   DAROTSI  4 1 

US  about  them  was  that  they  speak  Sesuto,  as  we  do.  I  knew 
already  from  Livingstone  that  the  Makololo  had  introduced  it 
on  the  Zambesi,  but  I  did  not  realise  the  fact  that  it  is  still 
spoken  there.  "  Why  do  you  not  come  to  us,"  they  said,  "  and 
save  the  nation  ?  "  But  the  Zambesi — that  is  a  long  way  to  go  ! 
As  far  as  we  can  judge  at  present,  there  are  only  two  alter- 
natives for  us — either  to  return  to  Basuto-land,  or  to  seek  other 
parts.  Return  to  Basuto-land  !  The  very  thought  seems  to  us 
treachery  and  a  temptation  of  the  Enemy.  Our  camp  is  not 
exactly  joyous  these  days,  and  no  one  thinks  of  parading  his 
stout-heartedness.  But  I  have  no  doubt  that,  when  our  dear 
travelling  companions  have  recovered  from  this  terrible  blow, 
energy  and  enthusiasm  will  revive  in  their  hearts.  They  feel 
as  we  do,  that  to  return  to  Basuto-land  in  the  present  circum- 
stances would  be  disastrous  to  the  cause  of  the  mission.  I  am 
full  of  courage,  and  have  good  hope.  For  the  moment,  what 
we  have  to  do  is  to  leave  Matabele-land,  and  go  to  Shoshong^ 
alas  !  a  considerable  retreat  in  the  direction  of  Basuto-land. 
There  we  will  mature  our  plans,  and  await  the  counsels  and 
directions  of  our  brethren.  All  the  members  of  the  expedition 
charge  me  to  send  their  salutations  to  you  and  to  the  Churches 
of  France.  "  We  are  not  discouraged,"  they  say ;  "  but,  O 
brothers  and  sisters,  fathers  and  mothers,  do  uphold  us  !  "  I 
join  with  all  my  heart  in  this  message. 

In  leaving  these  parts,  I  think  of  the  return  of  the  Ark  from 
the  land  of  the  Philistines.  Our  thoughts  and  hearts  constantly 
return  to  the  Banyai  country,  to  Nyanikoe.  I  tell  myself  that 
a  miracle  is  not  impossible,  though  it  seems  very  improbable, 
and  that  the  Lord  may  still  open  the  doors  of  that  country, 
which  have  been  closed  to  us.  The  spark  which  has  glimmered 
in  the  darkness  of  that  unhappy  country  may  one  day  produce 
a  great  light.  No  doubt  we  have  done  little  during  our  stay  of 
six  months  ;  nevertheless,  I  have  the  conviction  that  our  testi- 
mony will  remain.  They  will  long  remember  those  whites  and 
blacks  in  strange  garments,  with  their  rolling  houses  drawn  by 
oxen.  Will  they  forget  the  bell  which  daily  summoned  all  to 
prayer?  Will  no  recollections  remain  of  the  history  of  the 
Creation,  the  Fall,  and  the  Redemption,  which  we  have  tried 
to  make  the  Banya'i  understand,  stammering  their  language? 
Among   our  memories    of   Nyanikoe    are    the    moments    when, 


42  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

surrounded  by  these  poor  people,  I  tried  to  fix  in  their  minds, 
by  making  them  repeat  it,  that  text  which  is  the  very  essence 
of  the  Gospel :  "  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

May  God  have  pity  on  the  Banyai"  and  remember  them  !  * 

*  The  Banyai  are  now  being  evangelised  by  the  missionaries  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church. 


CHAPTER   IV 

Departure  from  Matabele-land — Final  Interview  with  Lobengula — Misery  of 
Africa — Ferocious  Character  of  the  Matabele— Barrenness  of  Mission 
Work— Tati  Gold  Fields—"  Ruined  Cities  "—Ethnological  Problems- 
Sickness  in  Camp — Accidents  on  the  Road — Arrival  at  Khama's  Town 
— Warm  Welcome — Khama's  Character  and  Government — Missionary 
Meeting — Future  Plans  discussed — Decision  to  go  to  Barotsi-land. 

Mangwato  (Shoshong),  May  22}id,  1878. 

YOU  see  now  that  our  last  ray  of  hope  has  vanished !  We  have 
definitely  quitted  Matabele-land,  and  here  we  are  among 
the  Bamangwato,  some  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  south.  After 
the  stormy  conference  with  the  chiefs  which  I  told  you  about, 
our  evangelists,  terrified  (and  not  without  reason)  at  the  hostile 
attitude  of  the  Matabele,  would  have  liked  to  leave  without 
delay.  I  thought  it  better  not  to  hurry,  for  fear  of  giving  our 
departure  an  appearance  of  flight.  After  having  written  to 
Basuto-land,  so  that  the  directions  of  our  brethren  might  reach 
us  at  Shoshong  without  loss  of  time,  we  went  to  visit  the  stations 
of  Shiloh  and  Inyati,  which  took  us  three  weeks.  Our  people 
will  never  forget  Shiloh.  It  is  a  bright  spot  to  them,  the  only 
one,  indeed,  in  this  hard  experience  of  Matabele-land. 

I  went,  as  etiquette  required,  to  pay  Lobengula  a  last  visit. 
My  presence  evidently  embarrassed  him  greatly,  and  he  found 
it  difficult  to  receive  my  farewells  with  a  good  grace.  He  took 
refuge  once  more  in  explanations  and  professions  of  personal 
friendship ;  he  pressed  me  to  settle  in  his  country  (without  the 
Basuto  catechists,  of  course)  ;  he  showed  displeasure  on  learning 
that  I  and  my  people  were  going  to  make  some  stay  with  tlic 
Bamangwato  chief ;  he  even  went  so  far  as  to  off"cr  me  a  passage 
across  his  own  territory,  and  some  guides  to  conduct  me  to 
Mozila,  on  the  other  side  of  the  River  Sabi.  I  told  him  I  would 
reflect  seriously  on  all  he  had  told  me,  and  I  took  leave.     Shall 

43 


44  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S7S 

I  confess  it  ?  I  had  till  then  buoyed  myself  up  with  a  vague 
hope  that  at  the  last  moment  the  path  to  the  Banyai"  might  still 
be  opened  to  us.  It  was  now  evident  to  me  that  the  Lord 
Himself,  for  reasons  that  we  cannot  yet  understand,  had  signed 
our  passport  to  turn  us  away  from  our  chosen  field.  It  only 
remained  for  us  to  depart,  and  we  left  without  any  more  idle 
regrets,  conscious  of  having  left  no  stone  unturned  to  make  our 
mission  succeed,  and  strengthened  by  the  conviction  that  in 
going  straight  to  the  Banyai  we  had  not  strayed  from  the  right 
way,  and  that  to-day,  in  leaving  Lobengula's  kingdom,  we  were 
still  following  the  path  of  duty.  Yes  ;  but  these  countries, 
which  only  a  great  black  stain  can  adequately  represent  on  the 
map  of  Africa,  are  immense  catacombs,  which  we  cannot  think 
of  without  shuddering.  There,  be  it  not  forgotten,  vast  popula- 
tions live  in  constant  terror,  ruthlessly  given  up  to  pillage  and 
destruction.  There  is  so  much  misery  that  the  world  knows 
nothing  of;  but  we  are  pursued  by  stifled  cries,  and  that  of  the 
Macedonian  has  never  rung  so  loudly  in  our  hearts  :  "  Come  over 
and  help  us."  But  the  door  is  shut,  "  How  long,  O  Lord, 
how  long?  " 

The  treacherous  and  cruel  character  of  the  Matabelc  is  well 
known.  But  no  !  it  is  not.  The  atrocities  which  form  their 
pastime  and  delight  defy  all  description.  Their  thirst  for  rapine 
and  pillage  respects  absolutely  no  one.  They  are  a  people  sans 
foi  ni  loi.  The  king  can  have  his  subjects  massacred  without 
distinctions  of  rank,  and  he  does  so,  remorselessly ;  but  he  has 
not  the  power  to  govern  them.  Here,  indeed,  is  a  country  where 
Satan  has  his  throne. 

You  will  ask  me  what  influence  the  Gospel  has  had  up  till 
now  on  this  savage  nation  ?  Alas !  apparently  none  whatever  ! 
I  confess  it  is  the  most  perplexing  problem  of  modern  missions. 
The  Revs.  Thomas  and  Sykcs  have  laboured  for  twenty  years  in 
the  country.  Mr.  John  Moffat  first,^  and  then  Mr.  Thompson  of 
Ujiji,  consecrated  to  it  the  first-fruits  of  their  ministry.  In  spite 
of  all  these  efforts  and  sacrifices,  there  is  no  school,  no  church, 
not  a  single  convert — not  one  !  In  fact,  I  do  not  know  which 
ought  most  to  astonish  the  Christian  world,  the  barrenness  of  this 
mission  field  or  the  courage  and  perseverance  of  these  noble  ser- 
vants of  Christ  who  have  for  so  long  ploughed  and  sown  in  tears. 
»  Son  of  Dr.  Moffat. 


1S78]  TATI  45 

It  was  at  the  bc^^inning  of  April  that  wc  finally  turned  our 
waggon  booms  towards  the  south.  Each  day's  march  took  us 
farther  from  the  country  where  we  had  hoped  to  unfurl  the 
Gospel  standard.  Now  everything  had  grown  hard.  Our  men 
were  weary  and  discouraged,  and  the  journey  was  one  of  the 
most  difficult  imaginable.  To  add  to  our  troubles,  fever  broke 
out  among  us.  Six  of  our  people  fell  ill  at  once.  Our  waggons 
would  have  reminded  you  of  European  ambulances.  Ours 
had  two  patients  in  it,  whose  grass  beds  we  renewed  at  every 
halt.  It  was  thus  that  we  slowly  and  painfully  arrived  at  Tati. 
Several  times,  I  thought  we  should  be  obliged  to  dig  a  grave 
for  my  faithful  Bushman  (by  name,  not  by  race).  He  survived, 
however,  by  a  miracle  of  God's  goodness. 

We  remained  several  days  at  Tati.  Indeed,  everybody 
seemed  in  want  of  rest.  A  Boer  was  returning  from  hunting, 
his  waggon  covered  with  wild-beast  skins,  and  from  him  1  bought 
the  almost  entire  carcase  of  a  giraffe,  at  a  moderate  price.  It 
afforded  a  pleasant  occupation  for  our  people  to  dry  it.  I 
myself  profited  by  this  respite  to  explore  the  neighbourhood. 
You  know  what  a  talk  the  gold  mines  of  Tati  made  a  few  years 
ago.  Hundreds  of  Europeans  flocked  thither  to  seek  their 
fortunes,  and  I  am  assured  that  numbers  of  cottages  occupied 
the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  the  banks  of  the  river.  I  visited  with 
great  interest  the  quarries  and  deep  pits  whence  the  auriferous 
quartz  is  extracted.  Now  everything  is  changed,  and  the  popu- 
lation has  disappeared,  owing  to  a  quarrel  among  the  promoters. 
The  pits  are  abandoned,  grass  and  bushes  cover  the  roads  again, 
the  white  houses  have  been  swept  away,  and  the  few  stores 
which  survived  them  are  in  ruins  ;  finally,  the  engine,  over- 
thrown by  torrents,  partly  destroyed  by  the  natives,  who  have 
stripped  off  all  the  copper  to  make  ornaments  for  themselves,  lies 
there,  rusting  and  half  buried  in  the  sand.  Ruins  are  always 
mournful,  but  for  the  Christian  and  the  missionary  there  is 
something  peculiarly  melancholy  in  the  abandonment  of  the 
Tati  mines.  No  one  can  tell  what  the  diamond  mines  have 
done  to  open  the  interior  of  Africa,  and  no  one  can  say  what 
might  have  been  done  by  the  mines  of  Tati  and  of  Walta,'  at 
least  three  hundred  miles  farther  north,  which  Lobcngula  allowed 
Baines    to    exploit.      However    this    may    be,    God    directs    all 

'  Fort  Salisbury. 


46  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1878 

events.  The  flood  of  civilisation  advances  slowly,  but  surely, 
and  with  a  might  which  Lobengula  fears,  but  cannot  arrest. 
Yet  a  little  while,  and  the  waves  of  this  flood  will  have  rolled 
over  the  whole  of  Central  Africa,  and  swept  away  all  obstacles. 

Curiosity  also  led  us  to  visit  the  ruins  that  are  found  almost 
everywhere  in  these  parts.  These  particular  ones  crown  the 
hills  around  Tati.^  The  walls,  which  are  four  feet  thick  at  the 
base,  are  built,  without  mortar,  of  stones  roughly  squared  and 
reduced  to  the  length  of  a  brick.  In  the  interior,  and  at  certain 
heights,  rows  of  little  stones  are  arranged  so  as  to  form  zigzags, 
and  they  display  a  taste  which  prevents  me  from  attributing 
them  to  natives.^  Within  the  enclosure  of  these  walls,  one  can 
still  see  the  traces  of  the  furnaces  where  they  smelted  iron. 
All  the  surrounding  country  and  a  large  part  of  Matabele-land 
is  auriferous.  In  the  environs  of  Tati,  they  still  show  some 
very  ancient  mines  which  have  been  more  or  less  filled  up  by 
time.  It  would  even  appear  that,  while  digging  the  shafts  I 
visited,  they  came  across  some  galleries,  evidently  of  very 
remote  date.  All  this  raises  the  most  captivating  of  all  the 
problems  in  this  mysterious  Africa — the  ethnological. 

What  are  the  origins  of  the  African  families  ?  .  .  .  Several 
people  have  attempted  to  solve  this,  but  no  one  has  yet  done  so 
satisfactorily.  It  would  be  as  presumptuous  as  premature  on 
my  part,  were  I  to  express  an  opinion.  What  strikes  me,  in 
reading  the  books  of  modern  travellers,  is  that  the  Banyai  or 
the  Makalaka  form  part  of  an  immense  family  whose  branches 
under  different  names  extend  as  far  as  the  region  of  the  great 
lakes.  Although  their  language  presents  some  affinity  with  the 
Zulu  tongue,  their  customs  and  habits  would  rather  seem  to 

'  Similar  in  character  to  the  celebrated  ruins  of  Zimbabye.  Those  at 
Tati  have  now  completely  disappeared. 

^  Mr.  Selous  points  out  that  the  designs  found  in  the  ruins  of  Mashona-land 
bear  a  strong  family  likeness  to  those  in  fashion  among  the  highly  industrial 
Barotsi,  whom  M.  Coillard  knew  nothing  of  at  this  time.  The  traditions  as 
well  as  the  language  of  the  Barotsi  point  to  their  having  once  lived  in  Banyai- 
land ;  and  the  ground  plan  of  their  huts,  which  never  varies  (two  concentric 
walls,  surrounded  at  some  distance  by  a  stockade),  has  a  rudimentary 
resemblance  to  that  of  the  Zimbabye  ruins.  Professor  Raoul  AUier  of  Paris, 
however,  following  out  a  suggestion  of  Semper  (in  the  latter's  "  Studies  of 
Primitive  Architecture  "),  inclines  to  the  belief  that  the  Barotsi  zigzag  and 
wavy  patterns  are  derived  from  wickervvork,  in  which  they  are  very  expert. 


1878]  KHAMA   AND   HIS   PEOPLE  47 

connect  them  with  the  Bcchuana,  though  without  entirely 
assimilating  them  to  the  latter. 

But  let  us  return  to  Tati.  Seeing  no  change  in  the  state 
of  my  poor  boy,  and  fearing  the  others  would  get  worse,  we 
decided  to  resume  our  journey.  We  were  now  crossing  a  water- 
less country,  so  it  was  impossible  to  halt,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  travel  by  night  as  well  as  by  day.  We  had  more  than  one 
accident  in  these  forests,  partly  through  making  sharp  turns  to 
avoid  large  trees,  and  partly  through  lack  of  sufficient  hands  to 
lead  the  waggons.  Now  it  was  our  canvas  tilt  that  was  torn, 
now  the  dcssel-boom  that  broke  ;  the  outside  cases  that  were 
smashed,  or  the  wheels  wedged  between  trunks  of  trees.  Never- 
theless, we  are  surprised  and  thankful  that  we  were  able  to  bear 
it  so  easily.  We  expected  to  arrive  here  on  Saturday,  April 
27th,  and  in  order  to  do  this  we  had  made  a  good  night's 
march ;  but  suddenly,  in  the  middle  of  the  morning  on  a 
beautifully  level  road,  one  of  our  waggon  wheels  sank,  and 
completely  splintered  up.  What  should  we  have  done,  if  this 
had  happened  a  few  days  earlier?  Two  of  the  catechists  had 
to  remain  with  the  waggon.  We  left  them  our  water  kegs 
well  filled,  and  our  day's  provisions,  and  hastened  our  march 
towards  Mangwato,  whence  we  could  send  them  help.  We 
were  not  expected  till  two  days  later.  The  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
Hepburn  (of  the  L.M.S.)  and  the  chief  Khama  received  us  with 
a  cordiality  which  at  once  put  us  upon  the  footing  of  old 
acquaintances. 

"  You  have  stolen  a  march  upon  us,"  said  our  brother 
Hepburn :  "  do  you  know  that  the  chief  and  I  had  planned 
to  go  and  meet  you,  together  with  his  people  ?  "  "  Oh,"  replied 
my  wife,  laughing,  "  think  what  a  deplorable  figure  our  ragged 
waggons  would  have  cut  in  such  a  demonstration  ;  and  our- 
selves too,  we  should  not  have  known  where  to  hide  our  heads." 
I  too  asked  myself  if  such  an  ovation  would  not  have  turned  our 
heads.  On  Monday  a  wheel  was  sent  to  the  friends  we  had 
left  out  on  the  veldt,  and  by  the  evening  we  were  all  together 
again. 

The  tribe  of  the  Bamangwato  is  governed  by  a  man  who 
is  still  young,  Khama  by  name  (the  gazelle).  Through  the 
civil  wars  which  have  often  desolated  this  country,  the  population 
of  Shoshong,  which  might  rise  to   thirty   thousand,   does   not 


48  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

number  now  more  than  from  fifteen  to  twenty  thousand,  so  I 
am  assured.  A  remarkable  feature  is  that  one  sees  very  few  old 
men  here.  Those  that  war  and  epidemics  have  spared  have 
emigrated  with  the  old  rival  chiefs  Sekomi  and  Macheng.  But 
the  young  men  are  quite  devoted  to  their  chief ;  and  it  is  not 
surprising,  for  in  him  they  find  a  protector  and  a  father.  Last 
year,  there  was  a  terrible  famine  :  the  people  were  dying  of 
hunger,  and  subscriptions  were  organised.  Khama,  in  addition 
to  his  quota,  distributed  ostrich  plumes  and  ivory  to  the  value 
of  about  i^3,ooo  sterling, — so  the  traders  themselves  tell  me, 
and  they  are  well  informed  in  this  matter.  This  year  there 
is  abundance ;  and,  according  to  custom,  each  man  brings  his 
chief  a  basket  of  corn,  the  first-fruits  of  the  harvest.  In  an 
assembly  of  the  tribe,  I  was  touched  to  hear  Khama  thanking 
his  subjects  and  directing  their  thoughts  towards  God.  "  My 
friends,"  he  said,  "  this  is  neither  Khama's  corn,  nor  yet  the 
missionaries'  ;  no,  it  is  the  corn  of  Jesus,  that  King  of  kings 
Who,  this  year,  has  given  us  rain  and  a  fruitful  season."  This 
corn,  sold  by  auction  under  his  eye  at  3  Si",  the  sack,  produced 
a  sum  of  more  than  ;!^8o,  which  was  devoted  entirely  to  the 
building  of  a  church.  And,  mark  this  ;  only  a  little  time  before, 
Khama  had  given  something  between  ;^24  and  £28  out  of  his 
own  pocket.  A  Christian  who  knows  how  to  give  is  a  Christian 
who  knows  and  feels  how  much  he  has  received. 

The  European  population  of  the  place,  which  is  more  or  less 
fluctuating,  numbers  about  thirty  fixed  residents.  They  also 
respect  Khama's  power.  As  soon  as  he  succeeded  to  the  throne, 
he  promulgated  a  decree  against  the  sale  of  spirituous  drinks. 
Here,  then,  is  a  community  entirely  transformed,  as  if  by  magic, 
and  one  may  say  in  spite  of  itself,  into  a  total  abstinence  society. 
No  one  regrets  it  :  every  one  feels  the  benefit.  Moreover, 
Khama  is  just,  kind,  and  obliging  to  all.  Thus,  when  some 
European  drunkards,  whom  he  had  expelled,  sought  to  revenge 
themselves  by  slandering  him,  all  the  residents  at  Shoshong 
were  so  ashamed  and  indignant  at  it,  that  they  published  two 
letters  in  the  Cape  newspapers  (unknown  to  Khama,  of  course), 
in  order  to  refute  these  odious  calumnies,  and  vindicate  the 
noble  character  of  this  Christian  chief. 

Mangwato  is  the  chief  centre  for  the  commerce  carried  on 
in  Matabele-land,  on  the  Zambesi,  and  round  Lake  Ngami.     The 


iSts]  a  native  missionary  meeting  49 

traders  have  calculated  that  last  year  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  pounds  of  ivory  passed  through  their  hands, 
being  the  tusks  of  more  than  twelve  thousand  elephants.  At 
this  rate,  one  need  not  be  a  prophet  to  predict  the  early 
extinction  of  these  animals.  One  can  understand  that,  in  a 
community  where  such  great  interests  are  at  stake,  more  or  less 
serious  commercial  complications  sometimes  arise.  When  this 
happens,  all  the  Europeans  form  themselves  into  a  court  of 
equity,  under  the  presidency  of  the  missionary  ;  and  their 
decisions,  with  the  sanction  of  the  chief,  have  the  force  of  law. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn,  warm-hearted  Scotch  people,  have 
succeeded  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackenzie,  who  have  been  called  to 
direct  the  Moffat  Institution  at  Kuruman.  Our  friends  have 
been  blessed  in  their  work.  Six  months  ago,  they  returned 
from  Lake  Ngami,  whither  they  had  gone  to  found  a  new 
mission  like  ours,  and  install  two  evangelists  with  Moremi,  son 
of  Letsulathebe.  During  their  absence,  it  was  chiefly  Khama 
who  evangelised  his  people.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  has  breathed 
upon  the  dry  bones,  and  they  are  beginning  to  stir.  There 
could  not  be  a  finer  sight  than  the  compact  crowds  of  men  and 
women  coming  to  the  services  every  Sunday,  all  clothed,  and 
a  great  many  of  them  very  well  clothed  too.  When  shall  we 
see  such  a  thing  among  the  Matabele  ? 

Mr.  Hepburn  and  the  chief  Khama  wished  to  have  a  special 
missionary  meeting  the  same  week,  at  which  we  were  to  speak 
in  detail  about  our  expedition.  It  was  the  middle  of  harvest- 
time  ;  notwithstanding,  from  8  a.m.  on  the  appointed  day  an 
audience  of  some  five  thousand  people  began  to  assemble. 

I  left  the  speeches  to  our  evangelists,  who  all  spoke  very 
interestingly,  each  according  to  the  natural  bent  of  his  mind. 
The  assembly  hung  upon  their  words.  I  only  gave  a  general 
sketch  of  our  expedition,  and  filled  up  the  gaps  in  their  story. 
Mr.  Hepburn  gave  us  a  beautiful  address  of  welcome  and 
encouragement.  But  I  should  have  liked  you  to  hear  Khama 
in  a  quiet  but  powerful  address,  plead  the  cause  of  the  Truth 
among  the  heathen,  and  that  of  missionary  duty  among  the 
Christians!  It  is  a  curious  thing  that  whilst,  among  all  the 
Sechuana  dialects  known  to  us,  that  of  the  Eatlapi  is  the  furthest 
removed  from  Sesuto,  the  Semangwato  is  the  one  which  most 
closely  resembles  it.    They  assure  me  that  every  one  understands 

4 


50  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

me  very  well,  although  I  am  a  foreigner.  You  may  imagine 
how  happy  our  people  are ;  they  feel  themselves  quite  among 
their  own  people,  at  home. 

After  having  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  our  devoted  friends 
the  Hepburns  for  ten  days,  we  installed  ourselves  in  Mr. 
Mackenzie's  house,  and  our  people  occupied  the  former  apart- 
ments of  the  students.  Our  evangelists  were  longing  for  a  little 
family  life.  The  public  and  common  life  which  we  had  led  for 
thirteen  months  had  become  as  distasteful  to  them  as  to  our- 
selves. At  Mangwato,  they  resolved  at  all  costs  to  make-believe, 
and  act  as  though  they  were  in  Basuto-land,  For  reasons  of 
economy,  I  should  have  liked  to  go  on  having  only  one  fire  and 
one  common  pot ;  but  with  one  exception,  they  either  could  or 
would  not  understand  my  reasons,  and  I  had  to  give  in.  To 
tell  the  truth,  I  cannot  find  it  in  my  heart  to  begrudge  them  this. 

We  heard  of  M.  Arbousset's  death  ^  indirectly,  whilst  among 
the  Matabele.  In  him,  another  giant  has  fallen,  or,  rather, 
another  warrior  has  entered  into  glory,  there  to  receive  the 
crown  of  life.  Africa  has  few  missionaries  of  his  stamp. 
Another  source  of  trouble  to  us  is  what  you  tell  us  about  the 
deficit  of  ;!^2,400  which  still  weighs  on  the  Society.  I  infer  from 
this  that  we  must  be  as  economical  as  possible.  From  Basuto- 
land,  too,  we  hear  of  famine  there — another  lesson  in  frugality. 
It  has  cost  me  some  sleepless  nights.  Alas !  we  are  badly 
situated  for  practising  economy.  First  of  all,  our  people  are 
tired  out,  and  I  do  not  know  where  to  cut  down  our  expenses. 
A  year  ago,  the  matter  would  have  been  easier.  And  then  the 
necessaries  of  life  have  risen  to  fabulous  prices  here.  Thus, 
unsifted  flour,  which  is  often  damaged  or  adulterated,  is  sold  at 
;^5  1 5i-.  the  sack  ;  coffee  at  2s.  yd.  the  lb.  ;  sugar  at  is.  6^d.  the 
lb. ;  potatoes  and  onions  at  £1  los.  the  sack  ;  sorgho  at  £2  los.  ; 
an  ordinary  cow  is  worth  ;^I0  ;  and  everything  else  in  propor- 
tion. Vegetables  are  a  luxury  we  can  dispense  with,  but  one 
cannot  live  without  bread.  Our  conveyances  too,  whatever  we 
do,  and  wherever  we  may  go,  inust  be  repaired.  All  this,  I 
repeat,  is  a  nightmare  to  me.  I  find  myself  between  two  fires 
I  ask  God  for  wisdom  and  faithfulness,  so  that,  on  the  one  hand, 
our  caravan  may  not  have  occasion  to  murmur,  and  that,  on  the 
other,  we  may  not  be  too  heavy  a  burden  on  the  Churches. 
'  A  pioneer  of  the  S.M.E.P.,  sent  to  Basuto-land  in   1833. 


1878]  STARTING   FOR    BAROTSI-LAND  5 1 

June  Zth,  1878. 

Since  I  began  this  letter,  I  too  have  had  to  pay  my  tribute 
to  the  fever  of  the  country,  and  feel  much  shaken  by  it  and  very 
weak.  I  must,  nevertheless,  tell  you  something  of  our  plans. 
You  will  remember  that  we  only  had  two  alternatives — to  go 
to  Mozila,  or  to  the  Zambesi.  It  is  a  question  which  we  have 
weighed  before  God,  and  we  have  always  been  awaiting  (so  far 
in  vain)  some  light  from  Basuto-land.  After  mature  considera- 
tion, we  have  given  up  the  thought  of  going  to  Mozila's  :  first, 
because  of  the  pretext  which  Lobengula  made  use  of  to  expel 
our  Basuto  ignominiously  from  his  country ;  and,  secondly, 
because  of  our  ignorance  as  to  the  nature  of  the  political  relations 
between  Lobengula  and  Mozila  ;  finally,  and  above  all,  because 
of  the  inveterate  hatred  between  the  Matabele  and  Basuto.  I 
knew  this  antipathy  existed,  but  I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  deeply 
rooted. 

Hence  our  faces  naturally  turn  towards  the  Zambesi,  and 
our  Mangwato  friends,  Khama  and  Mr.  Hepburn,  urge  us  to  go 
in  that  direction.  Even  though  the  Makololo  no  longer  exist 
as  a  tribe,  we  are  told  their  influence  has  left  its  trace.  The 
Barotsi,  who  have  now  the  upper  hand,  have  adopted  the 
customs  of  their  former  masters,  and  speak  their  language — 
namely,  Scsuto.  These  are  advantages  which  it  would  be 
difficult  to  exaggerate.  I  do  not  ignore  the  fact  that  the 
affinity  of  the  Basuto  to  the  Makololo  may  possibly  prejudice 
the  Barotsi  against  our  evangelists.  But  the  Barotsi  have 
seen  Livingstone,  and  have  heard  missionaries  spoken  of:  if, 
therefore,  a  European  missionary  could  win  their  confidence, 
the  position  of  our  native  catechists  could  be  established  without 
difficulty.  The  journey  would  be  very  long,  but  no  longer  than 
it  would  be  to  go  from  here  to  the  Banyaf,  perhaps  not  so  far. 

The  great,  great  objection  which  1  expect  you  will  raise 
is  that  the  whole  district  is  a  fever  country.  But  the  Banyai 
country  is  quite  as  unhealthy  ;  and  if  the  door  had  been  open, 
we  should  not  have  hesitated  to  enter  it  on  that  account.  We 
should  have  sought  out  the  most  favourable  localities  there. 
For  a  long  time,  the  Bamangwato  country  was  looked  on  as 
such  a  hotbed  of  fever  that  traders  did  not  dare  to  pass  more 
than  one  season  there.  Now,  from  twenty  to  thirty  are  in 
permanent  residence.     Lake  Ngami  surpasses  all  that  one  can 


52  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

say  in  point  of  unhcalthiness,  and  the  frightful  desert,  which 
has  to  be  crossed  before  reaching  it,  has  become  sadly  famous 
through  the  sufferings  of  the  Helmores  in  1859,  and  yet  a 
mission  like  ours  is  being  formed  there  by  the  L.M.S.  But 
forgive  this  pleading  :  it  is  premature.  Our  object  at  present 
is  not  to  go  and  found  a  mission,  but  simply  to  explore.  We  are 
going  as  scouts  ;  and  if  God  brings  us  back  in  health,  we  will 
tell  you  what  we  have  seen,  and  it  will  be  for  you  to  decide  what 
we  can  do. 

We  are  thinking  of  starting  in  a  few  days  with  Asser,  Azael, 
and  Eleazar,  my  leader.  We  are  leaving  all  the  families  here 
with  Aaron  and  Andreas,  under  the  care  of  our  friends  the 
Hepburns,  The  chief  Khama  gives  us  his  co-operation  ;  he  has 
procured  two  guides,  and  has  sent  messengers  ^  to  the  chief  of 
the  Barotsi  to  announce  our  arrival  and  recommend  us  to  his 
kindness.  It  is  a  very  solemn  moment  for  us,  dear  friends  ; 
we  cannot  refrain  from  asking  ourselves,  as  we  look  at  one 
another,  "  Which  of  us  will  return  ? "  We  foresee  difficulties 
and  trials  which  make  us  tremble.  But  the  sympathy  and 
prayers  of  the  Churches,  the  sense  of  duty,  and  above  all  the 
approval  of  our  Divine  Master,  will  sustain  us  as  in  the  past. 

^  I.e.  an  envoy  with  an  escort. 


CHAPTER   V 

Expedition  to  the  Barotsi  Valley — Desert  Journey — False  Guides — No  Water 
— Liponkoc  L.M.S. — ^Arrival  at  Leshoma — Victoria  Falls — Sesheke — 
Making  Acquaintance  with  Barotsi  Chiefs — Their  Cordiality — Barotsi 
Politics — Livingstone's  Traces — Breaking  Ground— First  Gospel  Preach- 
ing— Return  to  Leshoma — Lions — Death  of  Khosana — Return  to  Sesheke 
— King  requests  Missionaries  to  come  back  soon — Death  of  Eleazar — 
Of  Bushman — Major  Serpa  Pinto. 

Sesheske,  on  the  Zambesi,  August  -^ot/i,  1878, 

THE  date  of  my  letter  cannot  fail,  I  am  sure,  to  give  you 
joy.  Here  we  are  at  the  Zambesi,  thanks  to  our  kind 
heavenly  Father,  who  has  led  and  protected  us  as  He  did  His 
people  of  Israel  long  ago.  I  will  say  little  of  our  journey  from 
Mangwato  across  the  most  dreary  of  deserts.  In  the  beginning 
we  missed  the  way,  and  travelled  for  three  days  without  water, 
through  the  fault  of  a  guide  who  said  he  knew  the  road. 
Happily,  just  at  that  time  we  had  the  company  of  Liponkoe 
one  of  the  evangelists  whom  the  Bechuana  Mission  (an  offshoot 
of  the  L.M.S.)  is  sending  to  Moremi  at  Lake  Ngami.  This 
excellent  and  energetic  man  had  some  horses,  and,  thanks  to  his 
help,  we  were  able  to  retrace  our  steps,  and  spend  the  Sunday 
near  a  pool.  Muddy  and  repulsive  as  it  was,  this  water  saved 
the  life  of  our  beasts.  A  few  days  later,  we  separated  from  our 
friend  Liponkoe,  after  committing  each  other  to  God's  care. 
Alone  with  his  family,  he  was  making  a  journey  which  had 
proved  fatal  to  more  than  one  white  man :  the  place  where  he 
is  going  to  carry  the  Gospel  is  the  most  malarial  spot  in  the 
whole  country  round.  He  and  his  excellent  wife  showed  such 
spirit  and  cheerfulness  we  could  not  admire  them  enough. 
Their  colleague  Konkoe  had  already  preceded  them  to  Lake 
Ngami. 

The  only  human  beings  we  met  afterwards  were  Masaroa, 
the  Bushmen  of  these  countries,  miserable  creatures,  who  only 

53 


54  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

live  on  roots,  wild  berries,  and  the  produce  of  the  chase.  If 
they  happen  to  kill  an  elephant,  a  buffalo,  a  giraffe,  or  some 
other  game,  the  whole  community  emigrates,  and  sets  up  its 
quarters  near  the  slaughtered  animal,  till  a  new  success  induces 
them  to  transport  their  penates  elsewhere.  Our  waggon  tracks 
brought  them  to  us.  They  thought  we  were  hunters,  and 
dreamt  of  good  living.  Finding  their  hopes  disappointed,  they 
revenged  themselves  by  making  us  take  a  direction  which  would 
have  brought  us  to  the  Mababe  Swamp.  This  made  us  lose 
several  days,  and  it  was  not  without  difficulty  that  we  found  the 
right  road  again.  The  monotony  of  the  country,  coupled  with 
our  own  anxieties,  made  this  part  of  the  journey  tiresome  and 
fatiguing. 

It  was  towards  the  end  of  July  that  our  waggons  stopped  at 
Leshoma,  the  nearest  place  to  the  Zambesi  known  to  us,  and 
thence  we  were  able  the  very  same  night  to  send  our  cattle 
beyond  the  belt  of  forest  infested  with  tse-tse  fly.  On  hearing 
of  our  arrival,  Khama's  envoy  came  to  us  with  the  dis- 
couraging news  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  penetrate  into  the 
Barotsi  country  because  of  the  political  troubles  which  were 
convulsing  it.  I  sent  him  back  with  a  present  for  the  new  king, 
requesting  the  subordinate  chiefs  to  despatch  it  without  delay. 
Supposing  they  did  so,  it  would  be  at  least  six  weeks  before  the 
answer  could  reach  me.  We  resolved  to  turn  this  regrettable 
delay  to  the  best  possible  account  by  making  an  excursion  to 
the  Victoria  Falls. 

We  set  out — my  wife  in  a  litter  of  my  own  construction, 
carried  on  the  shoulders  of  four  stout  natives,  my  niece  on  a 
donkey,  the  rest  of  us  on  foot,  with  a  dozen  porters,  loaded  with 
a  small  tent  and  our  provisions,  all  walking  single  file,  camping 
every  evening  in  a  shelter  made  of  branches,  and  surrounded 
with  large  fires  to  keep  away  wild  beasts,  starting  off  every 
morning  before  sunrise,  and  only  resting  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  to  prepare  a  meal,  picnic  fashion.  Our  porters,  and  the 
visitors  of  whom  there  was  no  lack,  belonged  to  various  vassal 
tribes  of  the  Barotsi,  and  came  from  different  quarters.  We  had 
Masubia,  Matolela,  Matoka,  Mashapatane,  etc.  ;  and,  would 
you  believe  it  ?  all  understand  and  speak  our  language — that  is, 
Sesuto !  Every  morning  we  prayed  with  them,  and  every 
evening   we  taught    them   a    passage   of    Scripture,   and    that 


1878]  THE   VICTORIA   FALLS  55 

beautiful  hymn  of  our  brother  Duvoisin,  "  A  re  bineleug  Yesu  " 
("  Sing  the  praises  of  Jesus ").  It  is  a  pleasant  thought  that 
this  is  no  doubt  sung  now  in  more  than  one  hamlet  where  the 
name  of  Jesus  had  never  before  been  heard. 

It  was  on  August  ist  that  for  the  first  time  we  contemplated 
the  majestic  current  of  the  Zambesi,  its  banks  and  islets  clothed 
with  forests,  dominated  here  and  there  by  baobabs  and  palms. 
We  followed  it  as  far  as  the  cataracts,  six  days  of  moderate 
marching.  The  beauty  of  the  various  points  of  view,  the  mag- 
nificence and  vastness  of  the  panorama,  which  every  turn  and 
every  rising  ground  renewed,  struck  us  dumb  with  admiration. 
The  cataracts  themselves  are  formed  by  a  fissure,  which  extends 
from  one  bank  to  the  other,  about  a  mile  across.  The  waters 
of  the  Zambesi,  calm  and  tranquil  like  a  lake,  are  suddenly 
precipitated  into  this  gulf,  leaping  and  breaking  over  enormous 
rocks,  raging,  boiling,  and  sending  into  the  air  clouds  of  vapour, 
which  have  earned  for  the  falls  the  Scsuto  name  of  Musi  oa 
Tanya  (The  Thundering  Smoke).  From  these  sombre  abysses, 
in  which  the  eye  can  scarcely  distinguish  the  green  foam  of  its 
waves,  it  escapes,  enclosed  within  another  fissure  equally  deep, 
which  yields  it  a  narrow  passage  near  its  left  bank  ;  and,  forming 
numerous  zigzags,  it  rolls  into  the  distance  with  a  muffled  roar. 
One  can  scarcely  gaze  into  these  depths  for  a  moment,  or  follow 
for  an  instant  the  tortuous  and  restricted  current  of  this  river, 
without  turning  giddy.  The  beholder's  first  impression  is  one 
of  terror.  The  natives  believe  it  is  haunted  by  a  malevolent 
and  cruel  divinity,  and  they  make  it  offerings  to  conciliate  its 
favour,  a  bead  necklace,  a  bracelet,  or  some  other  object,  which 
they  fling  into  the  abyss,  bursting  into  lugubrious  incantations, 
quite  in  harmony  with  their  dread  and  horror. 

The  news  had  spread  that  the  missionary  announced  by 
Khama  had  arrived  and  was  in  these  parts.  Scarcely  had  they 
caught  sight  of  us  or  heard  our  gunshots  before  canoes  crossed 
the  river,  bringing  us  little  presents  and  great  salutations  from 
the  chiefs,  and  provisions,  which  their  people  sold  at  famine 
prices.  It  is  not  their  fault  ;  it  is  the  education  they  have 
received  from  some  of  the  traders,  and  from  travellers  to  the 
cataracts.  Our  intercourse  with  the  Barotsi  chiefs  has  been 
most  pleasant.  Some  put  their  canoes  at  our  disposal,  so 
pressingly  that  we  could  not  have  refused  them  without  offence. 


56  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

But  it  required  courage  and  good  nerves  for  a  lady  to  entrust 
herself,  not  merely  to  these  savage  strangers  (above  all,  with 
our  experiences  of  Masonda  fresh  in  our  memories),  but  also 
to  this  roughly  hollowed  tree  trunk,  scarcely  wide  enough  to 
crouch  in,  and  rocking  at  every  stroke  of  the  oar  in  anything 
but  reassuring  fashion.  Our  boatmen,  however,  soon  won  our 
confidence.  Not  only  did  we  make  a  very  pleasant  trip  in  one 
of  their  mekoros,  but  on  our  return,  at  the  request  of  several 
petty  chiefs,  we  crossed  the  river  and  visited  a  large  and  beau- 
tiful island,  with  many  villages,  inhabited  by  people  who  have 
sought  a  temporary  refuge  there  from  political  troubles.  We 
were  received  there  with  demonstrations  of  great  joy,  and  much 
clapping  of  hands,  accompanied  by  the  salutation  of  the  country, 
"  SJiangwe^  Sliaugwe"  which  answers  to  the  primitive  meaning 
of  "Sir."  Imagine  what  I  felt  on  these  islets  of  the  Zambesi, 
surrounded  by  a  crowd  understanding  and  speaking  Sesuto ! 
It  was  with  full  hearts  that  we  spoke  to  them  of  the  love 
of  God  and  sang  the  praises  of  Jesus.  They  were  all  eyes 
and  ears  ;  and  when  we  stopped,  our  primitive  congregation, 
still  open-mouthed  with  astonishment,  expressed  its  pleasure 
by  renewed  clapping  and  renewed  "  Shcaigiues."  Then  they 
followed  and  preceded  us  noisily  to  the  neighbouring  village  ; 
and  if  they  thought  we  were  silent  too  long,  they  would  say, 
"Are  you  not  going  to  sing  about  Jesus  to  us?"  Wc  left  the 
island  with  all  sorts  of  small  presents,  escorted  by  a  little  flotilla 
of  canoes.  When  wc  were  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  clappings 
and  cries  of  "  SJiangwe "  still  reached  our  ears  from  the  crowd 
assembled  on  the  bank. 

This  was  one  of  the  red-letter  days  of  our  journey.  You 
will  understand,  from  what  I  have  said,  that  the  whole  population 
is  beyond  the  river.  The  Matabele  have  exterminated  or  driven 
away  all  the  little  tribes  who  lived  on  this  side,  and  have  reduced 
the  country  to  a  frightful  desert. 

On  returning  to  our  waggons,  which  we  had  left  in  charge 
of  a  native,  as  all  hunters  do  (a  fact  which  speaks  volumes  for 
the  honesty  of  these  savage  children  of  Africa),  we  heard  all 
sorts  of  contradictory  reports  about  the  troubles  of  the  country 
About  eighteen  months  ago,  the  Barotsi,  driven  to  extremities 
by  the  tyranny  and  cruelty  of  their  king,  Sepopa,  expelled  him, 
and  sent  him  to  die  of  hunger  and  his  wounds,  abandoned  on 


1878]  BAROTSI    POLITICS  57 

the  banks  of  the  Zambesi/  He  had  made  himself  odious  by 
his  want  of  respect  for  the  wives  and  property  of  his  subjects, 
although  otherwise  very  popular.  His  nephew,  Nguana-wina, 
seized  the  power,  and  so  abused  it  that,  at  the  end  of  eight  or 
ten  months,  a  new  revolt  forced  him  to  flee.  Robosi,  the  son  of 
Sepopa,  was  then  chosen  chief,  to  the  general  satisfaction,  and 
Nguana-wina  has  vainly  striven  to  stir  up  the  vassal  tribes  to 
re-enter  the  capital  and  restore  him  to  sovereignty.  This  is 
the  origin  of  the  troubles  which  I  speak  of,  about  which  we 
hear  but  few  credible  reports.  The  most  influential  man  of 
the  tribe  is  Gambella,  better  known  by  his  official  name  of 
Scrumbo,  a  man  of  whom  every  one  speaks  well. 

Having  established  our  camp  on  one  of  the  sandy,  wooded 
hills  of  Leshoma,  the  highest  point  I  was  able  to  find,  I  decided 
to  start  without  delay  for  Mpalira.  Eleazar  and  Asser  accom- 
panied me.  We  had  long  dreaded  this  moment  of  separation, 
and  not  without  reason.  I  bade  farewell  to  my  dear  wife,  whom 
I  left  quite  alone  with  my  niece  and  Azael,  in  the  Lord's 
care.  I  did  not  know,  under  present  circumstances,  whether 
I  should  be  allowed  to  cross  the  river  ;  but  I  was  quite  deter- 
mined not  to  turn  back,  if  the  door  were  only  opened  the  least 
little  way. 

Mpalira  is  a  sandy  isle  at  the  confluence  of  the  Chobe  and 
Zambesi.  Three  Barotsi  chiefs,  whose  powers  are  subordinated 
to  one  another,  are  established  there,  governing  the  tributary 
tribe  of  Masubia,  and  guarding  the  principal  ford  of  the  river, 
the  entrance  to  the  country.  No  one  can  cross  it  without 
special  authorisation.  I  had  no  difficulty  whatever.  Living- 
stone has  left  the  name  of  missionary  in  such  high  honour  that 
my  character  as  such  was  a  sufficient  passport.  The  chief, 
Mokumba,  a  man  of  unusual  intelligence,  received  me  with 
many  attentions.  Still,  before  consenting  to  let  me  pass  on 
to  Sesheke,  the  headman  of  which  had  sent  me  a  pressing 
invitation,  he  had  to  forward  a  special  message,  and  obtain 
formal  permission,  as  all  entrance  to  their  country,  and  even  to 
the  left  bank  of  the  river,  is  absolutely  forbidden  to  strangers. 

'  There  was  a  fitness  in  this  fate.  One  ol  Sepopa's  favourite  amusements 
had  been  to  kidnap  children,  and  cast  them  to  the  crocodiles,  sometimes 
dismembering  their  living  limbs  one  by  one,  sometimes  throwing  them  in 
yvhole. 


58  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

I  must  tell  you  that  Seshcke  has  been  the  theatre  of  political 
troubles,  and  that,  it  being  at  the  very  entrance  of  the  Barotsi 
valley,  strangers  have  been  forbidden  to  approach  it.  When 
all  the  formalities  had  been  gone  through,  which  took  a  week, 
Mokumba,  assured  of  the  Sesheke  chiefs'  favourable  dispo- 
sition, conducted  us  thither  himself  The  journey  generally 
takes  a  day  and  a  half  by  canoe.  We  took  longer,  and  passed 
a  delightful  Sunday  on  an  islet  of  the  Zambesi.  There,  the 
river  flows  across  a  flat  and  denuded  country  ;  one  can  only 
see  the  woods  in  the  distance  ;  zebras  and  antelopes  of  every 
kind  abound  to  such  an  extent  that  in  the  distance,  and  above 
all  at  sunrise,  one  might  easily  take  them  for  an  immense  forest. 

On  approaching  Sesheke,  several  gun-shots  announced  our 
arrival,  and  gathered  a  curious  crowd  on  the  bank.  Mokumba 
was  proud  of  his  canoes,  which  cleft  the  water  like  fish.  Each 
had  for  rowers  five  or  six  vigorous  young  men,  standing  up,  one 
only  at  the  stern,  and  the  others  at  the  prow,  exactly  as  they 
are  represented  in  old  Egyptian  paintings.^  Sesheke,  from  its 
position,  is  one  of  the  most  important  posts  in  the  Barotsi 
country.  It  is  the  residence  of  twelve  petty  chiefs,  the  principal 
of  which,  the  Morantsiane,  has  all  the  attributes  and  powers 
of  a  viceroy.  One  of  these  dignitaries  came  to  receive  us  and 
conduct  us  to  the  lekhotkla,  where  they  came  with  the  greatest 
solemnity  to  bid  us  welcome.  The  discourses  of  this  person 
and  that,  and  the  minute  scrutiny  to  which  my  poor  person  was 
subjected,  seemed  to  me  very  long,  all  the  more  so  as  I  was  very 
tired,  and  was  sitting  on  a  drum,  which  would  persist  in  rolling 
away  from  under  me.  During  all  this  time,  young  men  were 
executing  grotesque  and  noisy  dances — in  our  honour,  no  doubt. 
At  the  end,  the  Morantsiane  placed  a  hut  at  our  disposal,  and 
gave  orders  for  "  my  bed  to  be  made." 

I  had  scarcely  retired,  when  all  the  chiefs,  even  those  who  had 
arrived  from  Naliele^  with  their  sovereign's  ivory  (which  they  were 
going  to  sell  at  Mpalira),  came  one  after  the  other  to  visit  me. 
The  ice  was  now  broken,  and  we  felt  at  ease,  like  old  acquaintances. 

'  See  Livingstone's  "  Travels."  He  points  out  that  the  pestle  and  mortar 
used  by  the  Zambesians  for  pounding  their  corn  are  exactly  the  same  as  those 
in  the  Egyptian  paintings. 

2  Higher  up  the  Zambesi ;  it  was  the  capital  ol  the  Makololo  in  Living- 
stone's time,  but  is  no  longer  a  place  of  much  importance. 


1878]  THE   MAKOLOLO  59 

I  must  say  that  this  was  not  difficult,  for  the  Barotsi  are  true 
Basuto.  All  their  chiefs  have  bccti  the  servants  or  slaves  of 
Sebetoane  and  Sekeletu.  It  is  from  these  Makololo  potentates, 
of  whom  they  always  speak  with  affection  and  the  highest 
respect,  that  they  received  their  education,  and  formed  their  ideal 
of  the  dignity,  manners,  and  power  of  a  sovereign.  The  warrior 
tribe  of  Barotsi,  once  subdued,  had  become  the  most  devoted  of 
all  to  the  interests  of  the  Makololo  ;  and  if  Mpololo,  the  cousin 
and  successor  of  Sekeletu,  had  not  sliown  himself  so  capri- 
ciously cruel,  they  would  never  have  thought  of  revolting.  But 
once  they  had  resolved  to  free  themselves,  there  was  no  atrocity 
they  would  stop  at.  I  had  feared  they  would  look  with  suspicion 
on  our  Basuto  evangelists  ;  but  no,  it  was  quite  the  reverse. 
The  Barotsi  have  nothing  more  to  fear  from  the  Makololo, 
of  whom  they  have  exterminated  the  whole  male  population. 
When  they  heard  us  relating  our  journey,  they  said,  "  You  are 
true  Makololo  :  no  distance  frightened  them."  They  surround 
me  and  my  people  with  the  greatest  attentions.  They  bring 
us  the  usual  presents  of  food,  with  all  the  delicacy  of  the  Basuto. 
."  This  pitcher  of  milk  is  only  a  little  water  to  moisten  your 
lips  "  ;  "  This  basket  of  flour  is  only  a  crumb  of  bread  to  beguile 
your  hunger."  The  influence  of  the  Makololo  over  the  tribes 
they  subdued  has  been  extraordinary :  it  would  be  interesting 
to  compare  it  with  that  of  Moselikatse  and  his  Matabele.  And 
when  we  hear  every  one  around  us  speaking  Sesuto,  when 
we  find  here  the  same  customs,  the  same  manners,  the  same 
costumes,  the  same  sociability,  the  same  code  of  official  polite- 
ness, great  herds  of  cattle,  and  abundance  of  milk,  it  really 
requires  an  effort  of  mind  to  believe  oneself  at  the  Zambesi, 
and  not  in  some  retired  and  still  heathen  part  of  Basuto-land. 
If  the  door  of  this  country  is  opened,  and  the  Churches  of 
Basuto-land  enter  courageously,  they  will  have  reason  to  admire 
the  ways  of  that  Providence  which  has  made  use  of  Sebetoane 
and  his  Basuto  bands  to  prepare  these  numerous  tribes  to  be 
evangelised  by  the  Basuto  Christians  of  to-day.  Could  we  pass 
lightly  over  the  fact  that,  from  six  days'  march  below  the 
cataracts  up  to  the  north-west  extremity  of  Barotsi-land,  and  as 
far  as  Lake  Ngami,  Sesuto  is  the  medium  of  communication 
between  these  diverse  tribes,  each  of  which  has,  nevertheless, 
its  own  private  dialect  ? — and  that,  if  ever  this  field  becomes  ow's, 


60  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

all  our  books,  our  institutions,  and  our  workers  would  serve  for 
this  mission  as  well  as  for  that  of  Basuto-land  ?  This  is  an 
incalculable  advantage.  And  what  is  still  more  remarkable  is 
that  the  Barotsi  and  all  their  tributary  tribes  belong  to  the  great 
faviily  of  the  Makalaka  ;  their  dialects  prove  it.  So  it  cannot 
be  without  reason  that  the  Lord  has  removed  us  from  amid  the 
Makalaka  of  Nyanikoe  to  bring  us  to  the  Barotsi  country,  to 
these  Makalaka  who  are  half  Basuto. 

From  another  point  of  view,  this  is  a  classic  country  for  me. 
I  have  found  the  traces  and  memories  of  Livingstone  here. 
This  man  had  guided  his  canoe,  and  was  there  when  he  planted 
the  seeds  of  the  trees  on  the  island  above  Musi  oa  Tunya  ; 
that  one  was  his  cook  ;  a  third  his  factotum.  Some  had  gone 
with  him  on  his  perilous  journey  from  Loanda  ;  others  had 
accompanied  him  to  the  Zanzibar  coast.  In  Europe,  people 
admired  the  intrepid  traveller  ;  but  one  must  come  here,  where 
he  has  lived,  to  admire  the  man.  If  some  travellers  have 
engraved  their  names  on  the  rocks  and  tree  trunks,  he  has 
engraved  his  in  the  very  hearts  of  the  heathen  population  of 
Central  Africa.  Wherever  Livingstone  has  passed,  the  name 
of  Moruti  (missionary)  is  a  passport  and  a  recommendation. 
Must  I  confess  that  I  have  been  humiliated  not  a  little  to 
see  myself  fitted  with  a  doctor's  cap  by  these  gentlemen  of 
Sesheke  ?  Whether  I  will  or  not,  I  am  Nyaka  (doctor),  Living- 
stone's successor.  Thus  it  is  that  the  first  missionary  that 
comes  by  is  invested  with  the  boots  of  this  giant.^ 

'  This  was  in  1878.  M.  L.  Jalla,  writing  in  1893  from  Moru  in  the 
Batoka  country,  says  :  "Among  the  inhabitants  was  a  native  whom  Living- 
stone had  once  taken  to  the  east  coast  and  brought  back  in  i860.  I  got  some 
interesting  details  from  him  about  this  long  journey :  how  the  Doctor  had 
inspired  the  Mashukulumboe  with  salutary  terrors,  when  they  were  about  to 
pillage  him,  by  firing  ten  revolver  shots  into  the  air;  he  had  put  another  band 
of  natives  to  flight  by  sending  rockets  into  their  camp.  At  that  epoch,  a  gun 
still  passed  for  a  great  marvel.  Of  all  Livingst&ne's  teaching,  this  worthy 
man  had  retained  only  one  thing — namely,  that  at  the  coast  they  would  all 
grow  rich.  You  see  legend  is  already  beginning  to  mingle  with  history  in 
all  that  concerns  Livingstone.  For  instance,  all  the  Batoka  maintain  that 
the  Doctor  entered  the  abyss  of  the  Victoria  Falls,  that  he  held  converse  with 
the  deity  who  hides  there  and  calls  the  water  down,  and  that  he  brought 
pearls  up  from  it,  with  the  news  that  whoever  penetrated  thither  would  find 
great  treasures.  In  a  little  time,  the  great  Doctor  will  not  fail  himself  to 
acquire  a  halo  of  legendary   divinity." 


1878]  FIRST   GOSPEL   PREACHING  6 1 

Leshoma,  Scpfc7nbcr  2otk,  1878. 

A  great  disappointment  awaited  me  at  Sesheke.  In  the 
official  interview  which  took  place  the  day  after  my  arrival, 
I  discovered  that  the  message  from  the  chief  Khama,  in  passing 
from  one  mouth  to  another,  had  been  so  garbled  that  it  was 
reduced  to  purely  political  salutations,  and  there  had  been 
absolutely  no  mention  made  of  our  expedition.  The  supreme 
chief  of  the  Barotsi  was  completely  ignorant  of  my  arrival. 
The  present  I  had  sent  him  had  never  been  despatched.  For 
this,  they  alleged  a  multitude  of  reasons,  the  validity  of  which 
it  was  quite  impossible  for  me  to  gauge.  After  six  weeks' 
waiting,  therefore,  I  had  to  do  everything  over  again,  and  send 
new  messengers  to  the  king  to  announce  my  arrival,  to  request 
an  interview,  and  to  transmit  to  him  my  gift  of  salutation. 
In  vain  I  pleaded  to  be  allowed  to  follow  them  at  some 
days'  interval :  that  might  have  cost  some  of  the  chiefs  their 
lives,  as  it  is  against  the  law  of  the  Barotsi.  So  I  had  to 
renounce  the  idea,  and  accept  with  good  grace  my  hosts' 
excuses  and  protestations  of  goodwill.  They  sent  a  messenger 
immediately,  whose  return  is  expected  at  the  end  of  the  month. 

During  our  stay  at  Sesheke,  we  of  course  occupied  ourselves 
with  evangelisation.  Every  day  we  had  numerous  congregations, 
chiefly  of  vien,  for  the  women  kept  themselves  at  a  distance, 
or  hid  themselves  in  neighbouring  courts.  You  would  be 
astonished  at  the  difficulty  one  experiences  in  teaching  the 
rudiments  of  the  Gospel  to  heathen,  with  whom  everything  is 
still  to  be  begun.  They  understood  our  language  perfectly  ; 
but  what  we  said  of  God,  of  His  greatness  and  His  love,  left 
them  bewildered.  Prayer  seemed  a  great  mystery  to  them, 
and  a  terrifying  ordeal.  "  Ytiala"  they  said  to  one  another  on 
kneeling  down,  ^' hoa  shuoa"  ("Now  we  are  going  to  die"). 
When  they  asked  me  the  hour  of  prayer,  they  said,  "  Re  thla 
shuaneneng?"  ("When  are  we  going  to  die?").  If  they  were 
counting  the  days  since  our  arrival,  they  said,  "  We  died  so 
many  times."  This  unfortunate  expression  comes  from  the 
Makololo,  of  whom  certain  chiefs,  hostile  to  the  missionaries, 
could  not  decide  to  kneel  down  and  close  their  eyes  in  silence, 
while  the  lekhoa  (the  white  man)  remained  .standing  and  spoke 
alone.  They  feared  his  evil  designs.  To  banish  all  suspicion, 
I  knelt  down  at  first  with  the  evangelists,  and  then  made  them 


62  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S78 

repeat  the  Lord's  Prayer  all  together.  As  for  the  singing,  it 
excited  their  curiosity  in  the  highest  degree.  Livingstone,  it 
appears,  did  not  sing.  Simple  as  they  seem  to  us,  our  Sesuto 
hymns  were  far  above  the  heads  of  these  poor  people.  So  I 
composed  two  or  three  very  short  ones.  The  first,  which  we 
sang  to  the  tune  of  the  Old  Hundredth,  became  so  popular 
that  the  words  were  soon  repeated  by  the  whole  village.  The 
native  songs  are  composed  of  recitatives  and  choruses  of  a 
single  syllable,  "  He,  he  !  ha,  ha !  "  ad  libitum.  And  the  great 
difficulty  was  to  get  these  people  to  sing  the  words.  They 
thought  it  was  sufficient  if  zvc  sang  them,  and  they  repeated  in 
chorus  some  monosyllable  rhyming  with  the  end  of  each  line. 

The  Morantsiane  and  his  counsellors,  fearing  I  should  be 
discouraged  by  their  delays,  pressed  me  to  wait  at  Sesheke  for 
the  return  of  their  messenger.  The  temptation  to  do  so  was 
very  great,  on  account  of  the  work  we  had  begun  there  ;  but 
after  ripe  reflection,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  duty  recalled 
me  to  those  I  had  left  at  Leshoma.  So  they  supplied  me  with 
canoes,  and  I  started  off.  My  principal  object  in  returning  was 
to  make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  bringing  my  wife  to 
Sesheke,  which  I  believe  to  be  healthier,  and  where  she  could 
easily  await  my  return  from  Naliele,  while  devoting  herself  to 
the  work.  The  sand-hills  and  woods  of  Leshoma  are  a  melan- 
choly solitude  which  has  lately  revealed  unsuspected  dangers. 
It  is  infested  with  lions.  We  did  not  know  of  this  ;  all  the 
same,  prudence  had  prompted  us  to  fortify  our  camp  with  a 
strong  palisade.  This  did  not  prevent  the  lions  from  penetrating 
it,  and  tearing  the  last  of  our  watchdogs  to  pieces  at  the  very 
door  of  our  tent. 

Natives  are  not  always  a  help  in  these  circumstances.  Once, 
when  we  were  travelling,  and  a  lion  had  helped  himself  from 
our  peripatetic  farmyard,  a  servant  of  ours,  named  Jons,  worked 
himself  into  the  greatest  state  of  excitement.  He  always  did, 
when  there  was  any  hunting  in  prospect  ;  but  he  had  so  far 
never  had  a  chance  of  exhibiting  his  prowess.  "  Master,"  he 
said,  "  you  imist  let  me  help ;  there  is  not  my  equal  for  a  lion 
hunt.  I  never  lose  a  bullet ! "  And  this  proved  to  be  no  idle 
boast,  for  the  excellent  reason  that  Jons  was  never  known  to 
fire  one  off:  at  the  first  alarm,  he  invariably  fled,  usually  leaving 
his  gun  behind  him.     On  this  occasion,  as  the  lion  was  not  likely 


1878]  DEATH   OF   KHOSANA  63 

to  return  for  a  few  hours,  I  sent  him  with  some  of  the  others 
to  rest,  while  I  watched.  He  seemed  very  unwilling  to  yield  to 
such  unsportsmanlike  laziness,  but  complied.  I  had  the  greatest 
trouble  to  wake  him.  When  he  could  no  longer,  with  any  show 
of  decency,  pretend  he  had  not  heard  me,  he  opened  his  eyes  a 
little  way,  and  said,  "  Oh,  master,  I  am  so  disappointed  I  cannot 
join  in  the  lion  hunt  ;  I  really  have  such  a  dreadful  headache  !  " 
"  Nonsense ! "  I  answered  :  "  who  thinks  of  headaches  when 
there  are  lions  about  ?  Take  your  gun  like  a  man,  and  come 
along ! "  He  followed  me,  trembling,  and  allowed  himself  to 
be  posted  like  the  others  in  position  to  shoot.  The  lion  crept 
towards  us,  and  the  signal  was  given,  "  Fire  ! "  But  at  the 
critical  moment,  we  heard  no  shot  from  Jons's  direction  ;  indeed, 
he  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  We  finally  discovered  him, 
clinging  panic-stricken  to  the  back  of  the  women's  waggon  in 
the  darkest  and  remotest  corner  of  the  kraal.  But  that  was  on 
another  journey  :  we  have  no  skulkers  this  time. 

While  returning  to  Leshoma,  I  fell  ill,  and  had  much  diffi- 
culty in  doing  the  ten  or  twelve  miles  between  this  place  and 
the  Chobe.  I  reached  it  only  to  take  to  my  bed,  and  for  some 
days  they  believed  my  life  to  be  in  danger.  Thanks  to  God 
and  to  the  skilled  nursing  of  my  dear  wife,  the  crisis  proved 
favourable,  and  I  am  now  quite  convalescent.  One  of  our  young 
men,  Khosana,  fell  ill  at  the  same  time  as  myself  The  same 
cares  were  lavished  upon  him  by  my  wife  as  well  as  by  our 
men,  but  the  disease  went  to  his  head  ;  though  not  delirious, 
he  kept  uttering  heart-rending  groans.  All  remedies  proved 
unavailing,  and  at  the  end  of  three  days  he  passed  away.  This 
was  on  the  morning  of  Friday,  September  13th.  The  next 
day  we  sorrowfully  carried  him  to  his  last  resting-place,  under 
the  shadow  of  a  beautiful  mahogany  tree,  there  to  await  the 
resurrection  dawn.  Passers-by  may  not  know  the  whereabouts 
of  his  tomb  ;  but  the  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  His,  and 
their  death  is  precious  in  His  sight.  It  is  the  first  death  we 
have  had  among  the  members  of  this  expedition  during  the 
eighteen  months  we  have  been  travelling  ;  and  it  has  taken  us 
by  surprise.     The  Lord  has  baptised  us  by  affliction. 

This  tomb  at  the  entrance  of  the  Barotsi  country  is  a  serious 
call  to  the  youth  of  Basuto-land.  Khosana  was  a  young  man 
from  Leribe,  who  volunteered  for  this  expedition.    His  conversion 


64  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1878 

dates  from  the  visit  of  Major  Malan.  He  endeared  himself 
more  to  our  hearts  every  day,  through  his  unfailing  obedience 
and  respect ;  while  his  gay  and  lively  character  made  him  a 
universal  favourite.  He  was  very  fond  of  singing ;  and  his 
sweet,  unostentatious  piety  made  him  a  popular  evangelist. 
Exhortation  was  not  exactly  his  province  :  he  left  that  to  his 
elders.  But,  after  the  meetings,  he  loved  to  sit  in  the  midst  of 
a  group  of  heathen,  and  teach  them  to  repeat  a  verse  of  God's 
Word  or  to  sing  a  hymn.  He  leaves  a  blank  among  us  ;  but  it 
is  of  his  father's  and  mother's  grief  we  are  thinking.  May  God 
sustain  and  comfort  them  ! 

Leshoma,  November  ()th,  1878. 

I  have  once  more  returned  from  Sesheke.  The  first  part 
of  my  letter  will  have  shown  you  already  that  the  Barotsi  like 
to  take  their  time,  even  when  dealing  with  business  affairs. 
Thus  the  messenger  sent  to  the  capital,  whose  return  they  led 
me  to  expect  at  the  end  of  September,  only  arrived  at  the  end 
of  October.  The  king  had  not  understood  the  message,  and 
politely  refused  to  let  me  enter  the  country,  under  pretext  of 
the  civil  war  which  was  threatening  it  He  sent  me  a  tusk 
of  ivory  at  the  same  time,  evidently  mistaking  me  for  a  trader. 
The  chiefs  of  these  parts,  surprised  at  such  an  answer,  invited 
me  to  Sesheke,  whither  I  betook  myself  immediately  with  Asser. 
Eleazar  had  already  preceded  us  thither,  and  had  been  awaiting 
us  for  six  weeks. 

The  Morantsiane,  while  officially  delivering  the  chief's 
answer,  told  me  that  since  then  the  officers  w^ho  had  come 
to  sell  the  ivory  had  returned  to  the  capital,  that  they  had 
represented  the  affair  to  Robosi,  and  that  they  were  expecting 
another  messenger  every  day.  In  spite  of  the  slender  confidence 
with  which  these  fresh  proceedings  inspired  me,  I  was  detained 
longer  than  I  wished,  as  much  by  Eleazar's  illness  as  by  that 
of  the  Morantsiane  himself,  and  by  the  impossibility  of  getting 
a  canoe.  Thereupon,  one  of  the  Sesheke  chiefs  came  from  the 
capital  with  a  new  message.  Robosi,  the  king,  informed  me 
that  he  much  regretted  not  having  received  the  first,  and 
put  all  the  blame  on  his  officers,  who  had  sent  it  by  a  slave 
instead  of  by  one  of  themselves.  He  expressed  a  great  desire 
to  receive  us.     But  he  added,  that  if  the  missionary  were  in 


1S78]  THE   BAROTSI   VALLEY  65 

a  hurry  to  leave  the  country  before  the  rainy  season,  it  must 
only  be  on  the  condition  that  he  returned  before  the  beginning 
of  winter  in  June,  when  the  corn  would  be  ripe.  He  himself 
was  building  his  town  just  now,  but  by  that  time  he  would  be 
in  a  position  to  receive  me.  He  was  already  giving  orders  that, 
on  our  return,  we  should  be  brought  to  him  without  delay. 
By  cross-examination,  we  assured  ourselves  of  the  veracity  of 
this  message  from  the  supreme  chief ;  and  after  freely  discussing 
it  with  all  the  headmen,  we  are  quite  satisfied  with  it.  We 
have  arrived  at  the  conviction  that  he  and  his  people  arc 
sincerely  anxious  to  have  us,  and  that  they  are  frankly  opening 
the  door  of  their  country  to  us.  Unfortunately,  the  fact  still 
remains  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  have  an  interview  with 
the  king  himself.  This  will  always  be  a  matter  of  keen  regret 
to  me,  and  perhaps  in  your  eyes  it  may  invalidate  the  invitation 
of  the  Barotsi.  If  they  are  counting  on  our  return,  it  is  of  course 
understood  that  it  means  with  the  families  of  the  evangelists, 
in  order  to  establish  ourselves  definitely  in  the  country. 

I  did  not  dare  to  make  any  promises.  The  advanced  season, 
the  low  state  of  our  stores,  which  threaten  soon  to  give  out,  and, 
above  all,  the  condition  of  our  people's  health,  make  it  impossible 
for  me  to  attempt  any  further  steps,  and  make  it  our  duty  to 
turn  back  to  Mangwato.  I  foresee  that  we  are  going  to  find 
ourselves  once  more  in  a  position  of  extreme  embarrassment. 
I  know  the  establishment  of  a  mission  in  these  parts  presents 
immense  difficulties,  and  raises  grave  objections.  One  of  the 
greatest,  besides  polygamy,  will  be  slavery,  which  is  at  the 
very  foundation  of  the  social  edifice.  The  great  question 
certainly  is  that  of  fever.  Livingstone  has  already  made  known 
the  Barotsi  Valley  :  it  is  unromantic,  and  the  climate  is  deadly. 
To  be  convinced  of  this,  one  need  only  remember  that,  when 
the  waters  of  the  Zambesi  rise,  the  whole  Valley  is  inundated, 
and  the  villages  are  nothing  more  than  islets.  They  are  then 
left  to  the  care  of  slaves,  while  the  owners  establish  themselves 
on  the  hills,  and  give  themselves  up  to  feasting  and  hunting. 
But  the  Banyai  country  is  quite  as  unhealthy,  if  not  more  so. 
Without  going  into  any  further  questions,  it  is  evident  that  the 
Barotsi  and  their  dependants,  who  all  speak  Sesuto,  should  be 
evangelised  :  they  ought  to  be,  if  the  Saviour  died  for  them  too. 
This  post  will  evidently  be  a  perilous  one,  a  post  of  self-devotion. 

5 


66  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S7S 

But  let  us  say  at  once,  if  the  post  of  danger  be  the  post  of 
honour,  here  it  is.  The  question  is  a  very  serious  one,  when 
one  thinks  of  the  precious  lives  which  may  be  sacrificed  there. 
But  where  shall  we  find  a  missionary  sphere  which  unites  the 
conditions  of  being  easy  of  access  and  healthy  and  everything 
else  wc  desire?  For  my  part,  I  see  none.  It  is  for  you  to 
judge  if  young  Churches  which  are  making  their  first  missionary 
efforts,  and  a  society  like  ours,  always  poor  in  resources,  both 
of  men  and  money,  can  or  cannot  undertake  such  a  work.  You 
know  the  opinion  of  our  evangelists.  Mine  is,  that  it  is  a 
question  of  time.  When  I  think  that  God  in  His  providence 
made  use  of  the  Basuto  (then  called  Makololo)  to  subdue  these 
tribes,  and  make  them  adopt  their  customs,  and,  above  all,  their 
language,  I  cannot  resist  the  conviction  that  He  was  then  pre- 
paring them  for  the  Basuto  to  go  and  evangelise  them,  and  thus 
complete  the  work  of  Sebetoane.^  It  is  an  important  fact,  and 
one  which  I  ought  not  to  pass  over  in  silence,  that  the  very 
nationality  of  our  evangelists  assures  them  an  influential  position 
among  the  Barotsi.  The  latter  have  exterminated  the  Makololo 
out  of  policy,  not  out  of  hatred.  They  never  speak  of  Sebetoane 
and  Sekclctu  but  with  the  greatest  respect,  and  the  Barotsi 
chiefs  still  pride  themselves  on  the  civil  posts  they  held  under 
them.  The  women  and  children  who  survived  the  massacres 
of  the  Makololo,  far  from  being  reduced  to  slavery,  occupy 
honourable  positions. 

I  have  another  piece  of  news  to  tell  you,  but  I  can  hardly 
bring  myself  to  speak  of  it.  We  have  just  lost  another  member 
of  our  expedition,  Eleazar  Marathane.  When  we  returned  from 
our  first  visit  to  Seshcke,  he,  knowing  how  prone  the  Barotsi  are 
to  let  things  slide,  begged  me  so  earnestly  to  let  him  go,  first 
to  Mpalira,  and  then  to  Sesheke,  to  look  after  our  affairs,  and 
hasten  them  as  much  as  possible,  that,  after  several  days  of 
hesitation,  we  ended  by  letting  him  start.  He  enjoyed  our  full 
confidence,  he  let  us  know  all  he  was  doing  and  all  that 
happened,  and  great  was  the  joy  of  seeing  him  again,  when 
we  reached  Sesheke  a   fortnight  ago   with    Asser.     We  found 

^  The  conquering  chief  of  a  Basuto  tribe  which  invaded  and  subjugated 
the  Barotsi  country  a  generation  or  two  before  Livingstone's  day.  The 
Barotsi  gave  the  name  of  Makololo  to  him  and  his  people.  Sekeletu  was 
his  son  and  successor. 


1878]  DEATH   OF   ELEAZAR  6^ 

he  had  been  doing  the  work  of  a  good  evangelist ;  he  had  gained 
the  affection  and  esteem  of  the  Barotsi  chiefs  and  their  people. 
"  He  is  no  longer  a  Mokololo,"  they  said  ;  "  he  is  a  Morotsi,  a 
brother."  This  pleased  mc  very  much.  The  same  day  he  fell 
ill  ;  the  next  day,  feeling  a  little  better,  he  was  able  to  help 
us  with  our  business  ;  and  seeing  that  the  chiefs,  trembling  for 
their  lives,  refused  to  give  me  permission  to  go  to  the  capital 
(this  was  before  the  king's  second  message),  he  entreated  me 
most  urgently  to  ask  this  permission  for  himself.  "They  won't 
object,"  he  said  ;  "  1  shall  only  be  a  letter."  It  took  more 
courage  than  we  thought,  perhaps,  to  make  such  an  offer,  for 
the  Barotsi  have  the  reputation  of  being  incorrigible  poisoners 
and  traitors.  A  few  days  before  my  arrival,  a  fire  had  reduced 
two  of  the  chief's  huts  to  ashes  :  I  had  lost  thereby  all  the 
clothes,  books,  medicines,  provisions  for  the  way,  etc.,  which 
I  had  left  there  for  the  voyage  which  I  counted  upon  making 
to  the  capital.  Nothing  had  been  saved.  Happily,  I  had 
brought  with  me  some  of  the  most  necessary  medicaments. 
In  spite  of  all  my  care,  the  disease  made  such  terrible  progress, 
that  I  saw  the  Lord  was  going  to  take  our  friend.  If  only 
I  could  have  procured  a  canoe,  and  transported  my  dear  patient 
to  Leshoma  !  But  the  chief,  who  was  ill  himself,  wanting  to 
keep  me  till  the  arrival  of  Robosi's  second  message,  always  put 
me  off  till  the  next  day. 

As  the  malady  increased,  our  superstitious  visitors  became 
fewer  and  fewer,  and  we  were  left  to  ourselves.  The  Monday 
morning,  the  4th  instant,  we  made  one  last  effort.  They  had 
supplied  us  with  two  canoes,  and  our  luggage  being  on  board, 
we  had  to  move  our  patient.  He  had  such  a  desire  to  see  my 
wife  again  that  he  begged  us  every  instant  to  start.  It  was 
too  late  ;  he  almost  died  in  my  arms,  and  we  had  to  give  up  the 
thought.  He  sank  rapidly ;  he  knew  that  the  moment  of 
departure  was  near  for  him,  and  he  was  happy.  Only,  he 
said,  he  suffered  on  our  account,  who  were  nursing  him,  and 
on  that  of  my  wife,  who  was  alone  at  Leshoma. 

Incessant  drowsiness  and  difficulty  of  speech  already  pre- 
vented him  from  telling  us  what  was  passing  in  his  mind.  But 
his  radiant  face,  and  his  lips,  which  often  moved,  showed  us  he 
was  in  communion  with  his  Saviour.  When  I  repeated  a  verse 
to  him,  he  would  say,  "A'/  teng!"  ("It  is  well!");  and  until 


68  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1879 

a  little  while  before  his  death,  he  still  replied  to  my  questions, 
"  Ntate  !  "  ^  ("  My  father  !  ").  The  Tuesday  evening  at  eight 
o'clock,  he  yielded  the  last  sigh  without  an  effort.  I  had  some 
difficulty  about  the  funeral.  They  wanted  us  to  have  it  at 
night.  I  obtained  permission,  however,  to  have  it  in  broad 
daylight,  and  even  succeeded  in  getting  all  the  chiefs  of  Seshcke 
to  attend  it.  Of  course,  everything  fell  upon  Asser  and  myself. 
But  in  spite  of  all  the  fatigues  and  emotions  of  the  preceding 
days  and  nights,  the  Lord  upheld  us.  We  were  enabled  to  sing 
a  hymn,  and  myself  to  explain  very  calmly  to  my  trembling 
auditors  the  mysteries  of  Death  and  Resurrection.  Instead  of 
a  hastily  dug  ditch,  far  in  the  forest,  the  tomb  of  our  dear 
Eleazar  is  five  minutes  from  the  village,  on  the  edge  of  a  wood, 
under  the  shade  of  a  tree.  He  had  said  to  me  a  few  days 
before,  when  he  heard  the  king's  second  message,  "  God  be 
blessed  !  The  door  is  open  !  My  tomb  will  be  the  finger-post 
of  the  mission — a  tebdetso  !  "  (the  earnest  of  what  one  expects). 

The  next  day  we  were  descending  the  river ;  the  weather 
was  in  perfect  harmony  with  our  feelings — it  was  raining.  But 
news  from  Leshoma  had  made  me  uneasy,  and  I  was  hurrying 
to  arrive. 

Eleazar  was  a  friend  to  us  all.  His  heart  was  thoroughly 
in  this  expedition.  He  wanted  to  go  with  us  as  an  evangelist  ; 
but  not  being  able  to  overcome  the  obstinate  resistance  of  his 
wife,  he  had  eagerly  seized  the  offer  I  had  made  him  to  come 
with  us  as  driver.  Three  days  were  enough  for  him  to  make 
his  arrangements.  With  him  the  sacrifice  was  complete.  I 
asked  him  before  his  death  if  he  had  never  regretted,  or  if  he 
did  not  now  regret,  having  come.  "  Master,"  he  said  a  little 
sadly,  "  you  have  forgotten  my  salutations  to  the  Church  at 
Leribe.  I  have  offered  my  life  to  the  Lord  ;  it  is  for  Him 
to  say  where  my  grave  is  to  be  dug.  For  me  it  is  all  one  :  at 
the  Zambesi,  as  in  Basuto-land,  heaven  is  near  to  us." 

Shoshong,  Janiiajy  '^oih,   1879. 

What  did  you  say,  when  you  received  my  last  from  Sesheke 
and  Leshoma  ?     Those  are  dates  in  our  missionary  life  which 

Ntate,  a  Sesuto  word  used  for  "  father,"  really  meaning  "  The  one  who 
loves  me,"  a  term  of  affection.  Monere,  or  Monare,  also  meaning  "father," 
is  a  term  of  respect,  usually  applied  to  missionaries. 


iS79]  KHOSANA'S    history  69 

neither  my  wife  nor  I  can  ever  forget.  Beyond  all  our  sufferings 
and  experiences,  it  is  there  that  the  pioneers  of  the  Basuto 
Churches  sleep.  It  is  very  mysterious  that  God  should  have  taken 
to  Himself  Eleazar,  Khosana,  and  Bushman,  three  out  of  the 
four  helpers  whom  I  had  taken  from  my  flock  at  Leribe.  Fono 
is  the  only  survivor.  It  was  in  response  to  an  appeal  made  to 
my  Church  that  they  offered  themselves  to  accompany  us.  It 
was  a  solemn  meeting,  and  a  memorable,  in  which  these  three 
men,  placing  their  persons  and  their  lives  at  God's  service, 
addressed  to  the  deeply  moved  assembly  their  last  exhortations 
and  farewells.     The  Lord  has  accepted  their  sacrifice. 

In  Eleazar  we  have  lost  a  sure  counsellor,  a  precious  friend. 
If  at  Leribe  my  official  relationships  with  him  occasionally 
left  something  to  be  desired,  because  of  a  misunderstanding, 
in  travelling  it  was  quite  the  reverse.  Would  you  believe  that, 
during  the  eighteen  months  we  have  been  travelling  together, 
not  the  slightest  cloud  has  even  for  an  instant  troubled  our 
intercourse?  I  told  you  he  had  a  high  standard  oi duty.  His 
warm  affection,  his  devotedness,  his  delicate  attentions  to  my 
wife  and  niece,  especially  had  endeared  him  to  us.  His  death- 
bed, so  calm  and  radiant,  was  the  worthy  crown  of  such  a 
beautiful  epoch  of  his  life.  His  memory  will  always  be  blessed 
to  us.  It  was  a  great  privilege  that  the  Lord  permitted  me  to 
tend  him  and  close  his  eyes.  What  an  ardent  soul  was  his  ! 
How  much  he  had  at  heart  the  success  of  our  expedition  !  It 
was  at  his  own  entreaty  that  I  yielded  and  sent  him  to  Seshckc 
all  alone.  When  we  rejoined  him,  he  renewed  his  entreaties, 
this  time  that  I  would  send  him  quite  alone,  to  carry  my 
message  to  the  Barotsi  king.  And  when  I  set  before  him 
the  dangers  of  such  an  enterprise,  he  replied,  with  a  smile  and 
a  depth  of  conviction  that  were  alike  irresistible,  "  It  is  the 
Lord's  work:  what  does  it  matter,  if  v/e  do  die  for  Him?" 
He  had  at  least  the  joy  of  learning  before  he  died  that  the 
Barotsi  country  was  open  to  us. 

Khosana  was  a  remarkably  intelligent  lad.  His  parents 
were  Christians,  and  all  his  father's  pride  was  centred  in  this 
son,  whom  he  wished  to  send  to  the  south  for  a  first-class 
education,  so  that  he  might  become  a  schoolmaster.  My  heart 
misgave  me,  when  I  heard  him  volunteer  for  Banyai'-land  in 
the  midst  of  a  crowded  congregation  in  our  church  at  Leribe 


yo  ON    THE   TPIRESIIOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S79 

I  thought  his  father  would  never  allow  him  to  go.  Outside 
the  church  door,  I  said  to  him, "  You  heard  your  son  to-night  ?  " 
"  Yes,  I  heard."  "  And  will  you  let  him  go  ?  "  He  answered 
with  some  surprise,  "  My  son  has  given  himself  to  the 
Lord,  the  same  as  I  have :  what  right  have  I  to  hold 
him  back  ?  "  "  Ah  !  but  if  we  return  without  him  ?  "  "  My 
father,  the  journey  to  heaven  is  as  short  from  there  as  from 
Leribe."  ^  At  Leshoma,  our  last  care  was  to  carve  the  name 
of  our  dear  Khosana  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  that  shadows 
his  tomb.  VVe  left  that  place  on  November  13th,  at  ten  o'clock 
at  night,  in  wet  and  v/indy  weather.  We  had  to  stay  some 
time  at  Deka,  near  the  sources  of  the  river  so  called.  We 
travelled  under  great  difficulties,  for  want  of  experienced  hands. 
Fono,  though  unwell,  took  Eleazar's  whip,  and  a  young 
Morotsi  (Seajika),  whom  I  had  hired,  took  Fono's  place  at  the 
head  of  my  team  ;  while  another  of  the  same  nation,  Karumba, 
took  Khosana's.  Half-way  on  our  road,  Andreas  came  to  meet 
us  from  Shoshong  with  the  oxen,  and  with  the  sad  news  that 
Bushman,  whom  we  had  left  convalescent,  had  also  died. 

My  poor  Bushman !  I  could  not  believe  he  was  dead.  He 
had  been  more  than  twelve  years  with  us,  having  followed  us 
to  Natal,  when  we  were  in  exile.  I  had  sent  him  with  our 
faithful  Jonathan,  who  was  returning  to  his  country,  near 
Valdezia  ;  and  when  our  expedition  was  preparing,  to  start 
thence,  he  offered  himself  to  "  graze  our  cattle."  "  I  am  a  very 
stupid  boy,"  he  said  ;  "  I  can't  teach  ;  but  won't  you  take  me  to 
feed  your  beasts  ?  "  And  it  was  not  an  empty  offer  on  his  part. 
Never  were  cattle  better  cared  for.  At  whatever  hour,  in  what- 
soever weather,  we  might  outspan,  he  cheerfully  took  his  spear 
and  his  book,  if  it  were  daylight,  his  cloak,  if  it  were  night,  and 
set  off.  It  was  not  a  rare  thing  for  him  to  spend  whole  nights 
quite  alone,  tending  and  feeding  our  cattle  in  the  lion-haunted 
forests.  He  never  complained  either  of  the  cold  or  of  the  heat, 
nor  of  fatigue,  nor  even  of  hunger  ;  and  I  sometimes  found  that 
people  might  have  been  more  considerate  of  him.  If  he  were 
dull,  a  word  of  affection  cheered  him  up,  for  he  was  sensitive  to 

*  On  his  return  to  Leribe,  M.  Coillard  scarcely  knew  how  to  greet  the 
bereaved  father.  "  You  see,"  he  said,  grasping  his  hand,  "  we  have  not 
brought  him  back.'  "My  father,"  replied  the  old  man,  "do  not  grieve.  I 
offered  the  Lord  the  best  thing  I  had,  and  He  has  accepted  my  sacrifice." 


i879]  MAJOR   SERPA   PINTO  7I 

affection.  He  was  faithful  in  little  things.  How  many  times  in 
watching  him  have  I  not  wished  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart 
to  be  as  faithful  a  shepherd  as  he  !  Bushman  did  not  shine  like 
Khosana  by  his  intelligence  and  gaiety  ;  and  though  he  had 
already  reached  a  certain  age,  he  would  sit  down  in  the  school 
with  quite  little  children,  and  preferred  to  educate  himself  rather 
than  to  earn  money.  All  his  relations  were,  and  still  arc, 
heathen  ;  and  although  he  was  without  resources,  without  friends, 
and  often  ill  received  even  by  some  Christians,  he  had  won  a 
place  among  them  by  his  astonishing  perseverance.  As  I  have 
already  told  you,  he  fell  very  ill  near  Tati,  and  had  to  be  left 
at  Shoshong  while  we  went  to  the  Zambesi.  Being  very  weak, 
he  was  carried  every  day  to  the  prayer  meeting.  One  day, 
when  they  came  to  fetch  him,  he  shook  his  head,  and  said,  "  I 
have  done  with  prayer — I  praise."  A  few  hours  later,  he  had 
gone  to  another  meeting — no  more  to  pray,  but  to  praise. 

What  a  sad  return  to  Basuto-land  these  three  bereavements 
are  preparing  for  us  !  But  if  these  graves  are  our  title-deeds,  as 
Machpelah  was  for  Abraham,  we  must  be  prepared  to  see  our 
men  fall,  and  also  to  replace  them.  I  am  happy  to  say  Fono  has 
grown  more  serious,  and  seems  to  be  sincerely  seeking  the  Lord. 

I  was  forgetting  to  speak  to  you  of  a  travelling  companion 
whom  we  have  had  on  our  return  from  the  Zambesi — namely, 
a  Portuguese  explorer,  Major  Serpa  Pinto.  He  had  entered 
Africa  by  BengucUa  at  the  head  of  a  scientific  expedition.  His 
two  partners  left  him  at  Bihe  to  go  more  northwards,  while  he 
went  to  study  the  sources  of  the  Chobe.  He  arrived  at  the 
Barotsi  country,  and  was  preparing  to  direct  his  way  to  the 
Lualaba,  when  all  his  porters,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty,  abandoned  him.  He  had  no  one  left  with  him  but  three 
men,  three  little  boys,  and  two  women.  Not  being  able  to 
procure  an  escort  from  the  Barotsi,  and  being  attacked  by  fever, 
he  found  himself  in  the  greatest  straits.  It  was  then  that  he 
heard  us  spoken  of,  and  obtained  from  the  chief  some  canoes 
and  rowers  to  come  and  find  us.  While  I  was  acting  as  head 
nurse  to  our  dear  Eleazar  at  Sesheke,  my  wife  lavished  her  care 
on  Major  Serpa  Pinto.  He  was  very  ill.  But  assiduous  care, 
better  diet,  and  rest  at  length  brought  about  a  happy  change  of 
mind  and  body.  We  offered  him  such  hospitality  as  travellers 
can  :  a  place  in  our  waggon.     His  culture  and  natural  ami  il)ility 


72  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1879 

made  him  a  pleasant  travelling  companion.  We  considered 
that  it  was  a  real  privilege  to  be  able,  in  the  name  of  our  society, 
to  show  some  attentions  to  so  distinguished  a  man.  He  left 
us  ten  days  since  to  go  straight  to  Pretoria,  and  thence  to 
the  coast  for  Europe.  We  parted  from  each  other  with  the 
keenest  regret,  and  his  departure  leaves  a  blank  among  us. 
He  is  one  of  the  warmest  friends  to  Africa  that  I  have 
yet  met.  The  importance  of  his  work  cannot  fail  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  scientific  as  much  as  of  the  religious  public.^ 
Since  he  left  us,  he  has  had  all  sorts  of  adventures.  The 
rains  have  come  on — torrential  rains  :  the  Limpopo,  the  Marico, 
all  the  rivers  are  overflowing  ;  and  the  country  on  the  other 
side  is  nothing  but  one  frightful  quagmire.  And  he  took  great 
trouble  to  inform  us  of  this,  so  that  we  should  take  a  different 
route.  Our  tents  are  worn  out,  and  the  canvas  of  our  waggons 
is  in  rags.  All  the  same,  we  are  preparing  to  start  next  week, 
making  an  immense  detoiir  by  Sechele's  country,  Nylstroom, 
Marabastadt,  etc.  Although  we  were  in  such  sorrow,  we  left 
the  Zambesi  full  of  hope  for  this  mission.  Once  at  Valdezia, 
we  shall  see  what  we  can  do. 

'  See  Major  Serpa  Pinto's  book  "  How  I  Crossed  Africa,"  vol.  ii.,  pp,  131-276, 
for  a  detailed  account  of  the  journey  from  Leshoma  to  Shoshong,  and  a 
generous  tribute  to  the  Coillard  family. — Tr. 


CHAPTER   VI 

Shoshong  to  Valdezia — Seeking  a  Temporary  Field  for  Basnto  Catechi'sts — 
Khama's  Kindness — Seleka — Adventures  near  the  Blaanvvberg- — Mr.Stech's 
Station — Mr.  Ilofmcyr's — Sickness  and  Death  at  Valdczia — Mochache's — 
A  Sad  Journey— Pretoria  and  Potchefstroom — Welcome  to  the  Expedition 
— The  Trck-menschen — Evangelists  sent  to  Seleka — Bad  News  from 
Barotsi-land—  Decision  to  visit  France — State  of  Lerib6 — Journey  to  the 
Cape — Arrival  in  Europe. 

Near  Pretoria,  May  6//i,  1879. 

IN  my  last  letter,  I  took  leave  of  you  before  two  alternative 
routes,  and  in  a  great  perplexity.  In  proposing  that  our 
evangelists  should  remain  temporarily  at  Shoshong,  so  as  to 
allow  of  our  conferring  together  and  maturing  our  plans,  the 
Basuto-land  Conference  (at  bottom  unfavourable  to  our  projects) 
might  seem  to  have  solved  the  difficulty.  But,  for  several 
reasons,  the  catechists  positively  refused  to  remain  there.  And, 
sooner  than  return  with  them  to  Basuto-land,  wc  decided  to 
follow  the  directions  our  brethren  had  first  sent,  and  go  together 
to  Valdczia,  to  seek  in  the  north  of  the  Transvaal  the  field  of 
labour  we  had  once  caught  a  glimpse  of.^  It  was  against  the 
grain,  I  admit,  for  we  saw  no  light  in  that  direction,  but  wc  were 
afraid  of  straying  from  the  path  of  duty  and  missing  our  way. 

We  therefore  left  Shoshong  on  February  25th.  It  would 
be  impossible  to  tell  j^ou  all  the  kindness  showered  upon  us 
by  the  Bamangwato.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn  set  the  example : 
Khama  and  the  Christians  followed.  During  our  journey  to 
the  Zambesi,  they  supported  the  families  who  remained  with 
them,  and  did  so  with  a  liberality  and  delicacy  that  touched 
us  deeply.  On  our  departure,  they  loaded  our  waggons  with 
provisions,  and  overwhelmed  our  evangelists  with  presents, 
clothes,  and  rich  furs.      We  too  had  our   share  of  attentions 

'  The  missionaries  at  Valdezia  would  seem  to  have  pointed  out  a  corner 
to  them  on  their  previous  visit. 

73 


74  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1879 

from  the  chief  and  other  persons.  The  little  community  of 
Europeans,  to  whom  I  had  the  privilege  of  preaching  the  Gospel 
during  our  stay  at  Shoshong,  also  made  a  point  of  testifying 
their  sympathy  at  the  moment  of  our  departure. 

As  the  rainy  season  was  already  well  advanced,  we  ventured 
to  take  the  most  direct  road — if,  indeed,  there  is  any  trace  of 
a  road  in  these  deserts.  Six  days  later,  we  were  at  Selcka's. 
They  say  we  ought  to  have  made  the  journey  in  four  days, 
which  I  somewhat  doubt.  Seleka  is  a  small  tributary  chief 
of  Khama's.  His  village  is  picturesquely  placed  just  where  a 
wooded  gorge  opens  out  :  his  povv^er  extends  over  several 
hamlets  scattered  along  the  banks  of  the  Limpopo.  We  had 
scarcely  outspanned  in  the  forest  at  the  entrance  of  the  gorge, 
when  a  number  of  people  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and  on  oxen 
hastened  to  visit  us.  The  old  chief  was  ill  ;  nevertheless,  I  saw 
him.  He  ordered  one  of  his  sons  to  collect  his  people  and  bring 
back  my  words  to  him.  When  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
was  over,  I  was  quite  surprised  to  see  the  men  consult  together, 
and  then,  in  concert  w^ith  their  chief,  implore  us  to  settle  near 
them.  Something  they  had  let  fall  the  day  before  ought  to 
have  prepared  me  for  this.  "  For  a  long  time,"  they  said,  *'  we 
have  been  v/ishing  for  a  missionary,  but  we  don't  know  to  whom 
we  should  address  ourselves,  and  no  one  thinks  of  us.  Surely 
God  has  sent  you  to  us  ;  do  not  go  away."  This  appeal  moved 
our  catechists  deeply  ;  but  you  will  easily  understand  that  I  did 
not  feel  free  to  respond  to  it  just  then,  as  Khama  had  told  us 
his  missionaries  of  the  L.M.S.  thought  of  making  Seleka  an 
annexe  to  Shoshong.  Still,  we  promised  to  confer  with  the  one 
whose  right  it  was  to  decide — namely,  Mr.  Hepburn — and  to  let 
them  know  our  decision  later.  Poor  things  !  how  regretfully 
they  watched  us  inspan  and  go  away !  They  gave  us  guides 
to  replace  Khama's  ;  and  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  cro.ss  the 
Limpopo,  we  travelled  by  forced  marches,  through  deluges  of 
rain,  and  across  a  flooded  country. 

We  crossed  the  river  at  a  spot  where  we  were  assured  the 
waggon  of  a  hunter  had  once  ventured  :  trees  have  grown  and 
the  banks  have  deepened  since  then,  and  I  should  not  now 
recommend  this  ford  to  anybody.  We  took  nearly  all  day  to 
effect  the  crossing,  firing  our  guns  now  and  then  to  scare  the 
crocodiles.      Thence   our    guides   had    to   conduct    us   through 


i879]  ADVENTURES   IN    THE   BLAAUWBERG  75 

the  woods,  towards  the  top  of  a  mountain  in  the  Blaauwberg- 
where  a  petty  chief  named  Mapcna  Hves.  After  having  wan- 
dered in  this  desert  for  several  days,  we  found  ourselves 
entangled  among  hills,  gorges,  and  brushwood,  so  thick  and 
tJiorny  that  we  could  hardly  get  through  them.  We  had  missed 
our  way. 

Knowing  niyself  to  be  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  chief 
Malcbogo,  I  sent  to  the  nearest  village  to  ask  for  guides.  A 
troop  of  armed  men  soon  appeared  ;  their  bearing  and  their 
dances  were  hardly  calculated  to  reassure  us.  At  Shoshong, 
one  of  our  friends  who  came  from  Potchefstroom  had  informed 
me  the  tribes  of  the  Zoutpansberg  were  rising  against  the 
English  Government,  and  that  a  regiment  of  volunteers  was 
being  raised  to  subdue  them.  But  my  desire  to  take  the  most 
direct  way  had  silenced  the  voice  of  prudence  in  me.  What 
I  saw  now  gave  me  food  for  reflection.  Very  soon,  these  wild- 
looking  creatures  dashed  tumultuously  towards  us.  Thateli 
was  their  chief,  and  he  addressed  me  haughtily  :  "  Who  has 
given  you  right  of  way  here  ?  You  must  pay.  Let  us  see  what 
you  have  in  your  waggons."  You  can  easily  picture  the  scene  of 
confusion  which  ensued.  Nevertheless,  I  succeeded  in  calming 
our  importunate  visitors,  and  in  keeping  them  at  a  respectful 
distance,  while  I  led  Thateli  away  with  me  to  explore  the  rocky 
flanks  of  the  mountain  and  to  open  a  way  with  hatchets. 

Unfortunately,  in  the  dusk,  my  waggon  was  thrown  violently 
against  a  clump  of  thick  trees,  through  a  sharp  turn  they  obliged 
us  to  make.  I  thought  it  was  completely  smashed  up.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  outspan  there  in  these  thickets,  one 
behind  the  other.^  It  was  no  small  labour  to  cut  down  these 
big  trees,  and  clear  away  the  undergrowth  by  the  light  of  a 
lantern  ;  but  I  was  able  to  discover,  with  gratitude  to  God,  that 
the  damage  was  much  less  serious  than  I  had  feared. 

While  we  were  working,  our  pretended  guides  had  left  us, 
and  I  now  perceived  that  they  had  plundered  us  :  tent,  bedding, 
blankets,  clothes,  hatchets,  even  the  food  on  which  we  had 
counted  for  our  people,  exhausted  with  fatigue — all  had  vanished. 
"Will  they  attack  us  during  the  night?"  we  asked  each  other. 
We  committed  ourselves  to  the  Lord,  and  in  spite  of  the  barking 

'  African  travellers  always  try  to  form  an  enclosure  (or  laager)  with  their 
waggons  when  halting  for  the  niglit,  for  greater  security. 


']6  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1879 

of  our  dogs  (wc  had  been  given  new  ones  at  Shoshong)  we 
slept  in  peace.  Next  morning,  thinking  wc  were  intimidated, 
Thatch's  men  came  back  in  a  body,  noisily  claiming  wages 
for  what  they  called  their  services  the  evening  before !  But 
torrents  of  rain  soon  delivered  us  from  their  incessant  impor- 
tunities. We  were  not  deterred  from  pursuing  our  way  all 
the  same,  harassed  and  hungry  ;  and  at  nightfall  we  reached  the 
mission  station  of  Blaauwberg,  where  Mr.  Stech  (B.M.S.^)  received 
us  cordially.  But  we  had  great  difficulty  in  getting  there. 
The  waggon  of  one  catcchist  had  the  tilt  utterly  destroyed  ; 
the  other  had  lost  the  tire  of  a  hind  wheel,  and  only  reached 
the  station  next  day  with  a  borrowed  one.  Mine  was  also 
a  pitiable  spectacle  ;  and  several  of  our  oxen  had  fallen  lame. 
Nevertheless,  we  had  much  cause  for  thankfulness  ;  for,  in  a 
country  where  fever  rages  pitilessly,  we  were  all  in  life  and  health. 
Still,  we  had  to  separate  for  a  few  days,  and  send  the  useless 
waggon  to  a  farmer  of  these  parts,  who  in  case  of  need  works 
as  a  blacksmith.  This  pious  and  interesting  man,  a  descendant 
of  Huguenot  refugees,  would  not  accept  a  penny  for  his  labour. 
The  extraordinary  rains,  which  delayed  us  five  days  with  our 
friends  the  Stechs,  had  soaked  the  soil  to  such  an  extent,  that 
there  were  nothing  but  bogs  to  be  found,  out  of  which  we  could 
scarcely  tug  our  heavy  mud-clogged  waggons,  though  we  yoked 
thirty  oxen. 

Directly  our  brother  Hofmcyr  heard  we  were  in  these  parts, 
although  he  was  ill,  he  harnessed  his  waggon  and  hastened  to 
meet  us.  Like  most  pious  Africanders,  he  is  a  warm-hearted 
man.  Let  us  not  try  to  tell  the  emotions  this  meeting  called 
up.  When  we  saw  this  friend  once  more,  who  had  been  the 
last  to  wish  us  God-speed  two  years  ago,  we  felt  indeed  that  we 
were  coming  from  a  far  country,  and  that  we  had  not  all  returned. 
Yes,  but  we  must  not  weep  for  those  whom  the  Master  has  so 
honoured. 

We  found  our  friends  the  Hofmeyrs  in  trouble  :  they  had 
all  been  visited  by  fever  at  once — father,  mother,  and  children  ; 
so  that  their  friend  the  blacksmith  farmer  had  sent  a  waggon  and 
taken  them  all  to  his  own  house.  Mr.  Hofmeyr  had  been  unable 
to  move,  and  his  wife  was  so  weak  she  seemed  a  mere  flicker  that 
a  puff  would  put  out.  In  the  village,  too,  many  people  were 
^  Berlin  Missionary  Societj*. 


1879]  SHE-WllO-MUST-BE-ODEYED  J"] 

laid  up.  We  only  stayed  two  days  with  them  :  our  desires  were 
towaids  Valdezia — that  Valdezia  we  had  left  overflowing  with 
life  and  health,  flooded  with  light  and  refreshed  by  the  dew  from 
above.  Alas  !  we  found  it  buried  in  the  gloom  of  sickness  :  our 
arrival  was  scarcely  noticed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bcrthoud  were  both 
ill  in  bed  ;  nearly  all  the  six  little  children  of  the  two  families 
had  fever ;  and  all  called  for  ceaseless  care.  Add  to  all  that  the 
isolated  position  of  our  friends,  each  with  a  new-born  infant,  and 
the  lack  of  good  servants,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  conceive 
a  more  deplorable  situation  than  theirs.  It  was  certainly  time 
we  came.  My  niece  Elise  lent  a  helping  hand  for  the  children. 
My  wife,  the  sick  nurse  of  our  expedition,  who  has  never  found 
time  to  be  ill  herself  the  moment  there  was  any  one  else  to  be 
tended,  took  her  place  beside  Mrs.  Bcrthoud — only  for  a  brief 
time,  alas  !  The  sickness  had  already  made  terrible  progress, 
and  five  days  after  our  arrival  our  sister  passed  away.  The 
lucid  moments  that  lighted  up  her  last  days  will  ever  leave 
sweet  memories  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  were  privileged  to 
be  near  her  :  her  words  bore  witness  to  her  inward  peace,  her 
faith  and  perfect  confidence  in  her  Saviour. 

As  for  me,  I  had  not  the  comfort  of  being  with  our  friends 
in  these  solemn  circumstances.  Two  days  after  our  arrival  at 
Valdezia,  I  had  set  off  with  two  of  the  evangelists  to  Mochache's, 
to  see  if  the  little  field  of  work  every  one  had  seemed  so  sure 
of  were  really  accessible.  The  journey  took  us  a  fortnight  : 
half  the  time  the  rain  fell  pitilessly  ;  the  roads  were  frightful. 
Mochache,  you  must  know,  is  the  high  priestess  of  the  neigh- 
bouring tribes.  She  has  her  sanctuary  in  a  wooded  gorge,  where 
the  rites  and  sacrifices  are  performed  which  she  ordains  and 
presides  over.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  privileged  "  ancients," 
none  dared  approach  the  sacred  grove  ;  and  if  by  chance  some 
head  of  cattle  venture  across  the  boundary  stream,  whoever  the 
owner  may  be,  they  at  once  become  the  property  of  the  priests 
in  charge,  and  are  sacrificed  without  appeal.  No  stranger  is 
allowed  to  penetrate  into  the  village  of  this  chieftainess  :  it 
can  only  be  seen  from  afar,  perched  upon  the  mountain  side 
like  an  eagle's  eyrie,  on  the  edge  of  a  black  forest.  She  herself 
is  invisible,  so  that  certain  individuals  take  it  upon  themselves 
to  doubt  her  existence.  Those  best  informed  assert  that 
Mochache  really  exists,  and  they  even  add  that  she  is  immortal ! 


78  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1879 

All  I  know  is  that,  like  all  the  fraternity  of  magicians,  she  is 
gifted  with  a  penetration  which  sets  her  far  above  the  common 
herd.  For  two  days,  she  made  us  wait,  in  order  to  heighten 
her  dignity  :  then  when  pressed  by  my  messages,  she  refused 
to  see  us,  asking  haughtily  the  object  of  our  visit.  Her  answer 
was  already  prepared.  "  I  have  my  god,  and  I  am  his  priestess  ; 
I  do  not  want  you  or  your  God.  Besides,  your  week  has  only 
seven  days  ;  mine  has  eight :  so  how  could  we  ever  come  to  an 
understanding  ?  If  I  allowed  you  to  come  to  me,  either  you 
would  be  in  prison,  or  you  would  ruin  my  authority." 

All  our  arguments  struck  against  this  rock  without  shaking  it. 
Int  ain  we  warned  and  pleaded ;  in  vain  we  had  prayed  and  hoped : 
the  door  was  indeed  closed.  They  ordered  us  to  leave.  While 
once  again  turning  my  waggon  pole  from  this  door,  at  which 
I  had  just  knocked  in  vain,  I  was,  in  spite  of  my  sorrow,  too 
deeply  conscious  of  the  presence  and  sovereign  will  of  God  to 
yield  to  discouragement.  I  thought  of  the  strange  remark  my 
friend  Mr.  Buchanan  had  made,  after  the  check  we  experienced 
from  the  Matabele  :  "  God  has  sent  you  as  an  advertisement 
through  the  heathen  tribes  of  tropical  Africa."  An  advertise- 
ment !  Well,  so  be  it !  And  then  those  words  of  my  Saviour 
took  hold  of  me :  "  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou 
shalt  know  hereafter!' 

On  my  return  to  Valdezia,  I  found  two  letters — one  from 
a  German  missionary  inspectc  of  the  Berlin  Society,  whom 
I  had  acquainted  with  my  projects,  and  whom  my  brother 
Creux  and  I  had  jointly  invited  to  a  fraternal  conference.  Not 
being  able  to  come  himself,  he  reminded  me  that  all  that  part 
of  the  Transvaal  was  the  field  of  labour  of  their  Society,  and  that 
a  division  could  not  take  place  without  inconvenience.  The 
other  letter  was  from  Mr.  Hepburn,  burning  with  affection.  He 
deplored  our  departure  from  Shoshong,  and  told  me  of  tv/o 
important  decisions  of  their  conference,  by  which  they  invited 
us  and  our  American  brethren  to  share  their  field  of  labour, 
pressed  me  to  occupy  the  post  of  Seleka,  and  welcomed  us  there 
in  advance  in  God's  Name. 

What  light  in  our  darkness  !  Was  this  to  be  the  hereafter 
of  the  Master  ?  After  having  conferred  with  our  companions, 
it  was  decided  that  Asser  and  Aaron  should  go  immediately 
to  Seleka  ;    that  for  reasons  of  economy   and  prudence    Azael 


iS79]  VALDEZIA   TO   PRETORIA  79 

and  Andreas  should  follow  them  later  on  ;  but  that  for  the 
present  they  should  remain  at  Valdezia,  under  the  care  of 
our  friends  Creux  and  Berthoud.  It  must  be  clearly  under- 
stood that  the  post  of  Scleka  is  not  an  important  one.  It 
would  make  a  fine  annexe  to  Shoshong,  but  it  is  too  re- 
stricted for  an  independent  field.  For  us,  alone,  it  would  be 
a  forlorn  hope.  But  it  is  a  finger-post  planted  on-  the  road  eitJier 
to  the  Banyai  or  the  Barotsi.  What  will  you  think  of  it,  dear 
friends  ?  For  my  part,  when  I  see  how  the  Lord  has  led  us 
by  a  way  that  we  knew  not,  and  when  I  try  to  discern  His 
holy  will,  I  am  filled  with  gratitude.  Wc  have  knocked  at 
all  the  doors  pointed  out  to  us  ;  we  have  found  every  one  of  them 
barred — all,  with  one  exception  ;  and  it  seems  as  though  the 
Lord  would  force  us  to  enter  there.  Perhaps  you  will  say  it 
is  only  half  open  ;  but  at  any  rate  it  is  not  quite  shut.  We  have 
no  choice  :  the  field  of  Barotsi-land  is  certainly,  in  my  opinion, 
the  only  one  the  Master  indicates  for  our  Basuto  Churches. 

The  moment  of  separation  from  our  evangelists  was  a  solemn 
one.  For  two  years  we  had  lived  together  in  perpetual  con- 
tact ;  we  had  shared  the  same  fatigues,  the  same  trials,  the 
same  blessings  ;  we  had  run  the  same  risks  ;  we  had  experienced 
the  same  deliverances.  Wc  were  one  family.  We  had  learnt  to 
know  one  another — not  always,  perhaps,  to  each  other's  advan- 
tage ;  but  our  mutual  affection  had  never  faltered.  To  say 
that  we  had  been  able  to  travel  together  for  so  long,  without 
having  had  any  serious  misunderstandings,  is  I  think  the  greatest 
praise  I  can  give  to  our  evangelists  and  their  excellent  wives. 
In  their  last  prayer  with  us,  while  casting  themselves  on  the 
Lord,  they  asked  that  to  us  "  might  be  given  eyes  that  looked 
backward,  that  the  window  of  our  secret  closet  might  be  always 
open  towards  the  regions  whither  they  were  returning."  Could 
it  be  otherwise  ?  May  He  who  is  sending  them,  to  Whom  all 
power  is  given  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  accomplish  for  them 
also  His  promise :  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world." 

It  was  thus  that,  comforted,  but  heavy-hearted,  wc  separated. 
The  society  of  our  friends  Creux  and  Berthoud,  who  are  going 
as  far  as  Pretoria  with  us,  softened  the  parting  for  us.  We 
are  travelling  by  short  stages — a  dismal  ambulance  hospital. 
My  wife  took  the  fever  at  Valdezia,  and  has  been  very  ill  ;  she 


So  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1879 

was  eight  or  ten  days  in  bed.  She  was  scarcely  convalescent 
when  it  was  the  turn  of  my  niece.  There  can  be  nothing  more 
dreary  than  travelling  by  waggon  with  invalids  ;  but  our  friends 
Creux  and  Berthoud  are  a  living  lesson  to  us  in  devotion  and 
Christian  resignation. 

Near  Potchefstroom,  Transvaal,  May  29/^,  1879. 

We  are  hastening  back  to  Basuto-land.  It  is  important 
above  all  things  to  know  whether  our  Churches  there  are 
prepared  to  charge  themselves  with  the  responsibility  of  a  work 
at  the  Zambesi,  and  to  face  all  the  sacrifices  it  will  involve. 
Without  first  knowing  this,  it  would  have  been  absolutely  impos- 
sible for  us  to  leave  Shoshong  with  the  catechists  to  begin 
the  Barotsi  Mission,  so  the  placing  of  these  latter  at  Seleka  will 
permit  of  our  plans  ripening.  And  we  are  not  deserting  the 
cause  we  have  at  heart ;  indeed,  I  am  sure  that  in  the  present 
circumstances  our  return  to  Basuto-land  can  but  promote  it. 
You  will  see  we  are  making  an  immense  detour.  The  tempta- 
tion to  go  straight  to  our  station  at  Leribe  and  rest  was  very 
great ;  but  we  felt  it  was  our  duty  to  visit  the  Churches,  and 
learn  their  inclinations.  If  we  can  thus  do  some  good,  we 
shall  not  regret  this  extension  of  our  journey  in  mid-winter. 

You  would,  I  am  sure,  be  astonished  at  the  interest  our 
expedition  excites  all  through  this  country.  The  Zambesi  is  the 
end  of  the  earth  ;  evidently  we  must  have  seen  everything,  and 
every  one  makes  it  his  business  to  bombard  us  with  questions. 
You  know  that  in  the  Transvaal  there  is  a  strong  party  of 
discontented  Boers,  who  chafe  under  the  British  Government. 
The  newspapers  will  perhaps  have  told  you  of  the  hostile 
demonstrations  in  this  country  at  the  time  of  the  British  High 
Commissioner  Sir  Bartle  Frere's  visit,  a  few  days  before  our 
arrival  at  Pretoria.  It  seems  that  two  emissaries  have  gone 
from  here  to  explore  the  Banyai  country,  and  that  their  reports 
represent  it  as  a  perfect  Canaan.  Consequently,  if  the  dis- 
contented Boers  go  to  these  parts,  we  may  expect  the  wars  of 
extermination  necessary  for  the  conquest  of  this  second  Land 
of  Promise.  Hence  the  questions  with  which  we  are  plied 
incessantly,  as  to  the  natives,  the  country,  the  resources,  etc. 
Already,  twc  j'ears  ago,  there  was  an  exodus  of  six  hundred 
Boer  families  who  would  not   submit  to    English  domination. 


1879]  THE   TREK-MENSCHEN  8 1 

Unhappily,  this  caravan  of  warrior  patriarchs  was  badly  com- 
manded, and  plunged  recklessly  into  the  frightful  Kalahari 
Desert,  seeking  its  way  towards  Lake  Ngami.  The  tale  of  their 
sufferings  goes  to  one's  very  heart.  Tortures  of  thirst  decimated 
their  teams  and  scattered  their  flocks  ;  it  is  said  that  their  way 
is  strewn  with  baggage,  thrown  out  to  lighten  their  waggons — 
furniture,  utensils,  tools  of  every  kind.  They  found  all  the 
pools  emptied  or  dried  up  :  then  men  and  beasts,  maddened  with 
thirst,  threw  themselves  pell-mell  into  the  mud  and  fought  for 
it,  and  there  at  last  found  death.  One  day,  at  the  last  extremity, 
their  chiefs  assembled  a  meeting  for  prayer  :  they  had  scarcely 
finished  when  a  transport  waggon  arrived  loaded  with  barrels 
and  leather  bottles  full  of  fresh  water.  Mr.  Hepburn,  the 
zealous  missionary  of  Shoshong,  who  had  preceded  them  by 
several  days,  had  heard  of  their  distress,  and  sent  them  this  help. 
The  remainder  of  this  unhappy  expedition  directed  its  course 
towards  the  west  of  the  lake,  and  was  further  reduced  by  fever, 
privations,  and  the  attacks  of  the  natives  ;  dissensions  broke  out 
among  themselves  ;  and  since  then  no  one  has  been  able  to  give 
any  news  of  them.^  But  we  who  come  from  the  Zambesi  are 
supposed  to  know  everything,  and  it  is  touching  to  hear  these 
poor  peasants  asking  us  for  news  of  the  trek-moiscJien  :  one  has 
a  brother  among  them,  another  a  cousin,  every  one  has  some 
relation,  more  or  less  distant. 

At  Pretoria,  our  friends  the  Bosmans  constrained  us  to 
accept  the  most  cordial  hospitality  at  the  Dutch  manse.  It 
was  insisted  that  I  should  give  a  public  lecture  on  our  journey- 
ings  in  what  we  should  call  in  France  the  Palais  de  Justice. 
The  governor,  Sir  Owen  Lanyon,  whom  imperative  duties 
summoned  to  the  scat  of  war,  expressed  his  regret  that  he  could 
not  be  present,  but  all  the  civil  and  military  authorities  honoured 
us  with  their  presence.  Although  the  newspapers  spoke  very 
indulgently  of  this  lecture,  I  had  the  feeling  it  had  not  been 
a  success.  I  could  not  feel  at  ease  in  that  same  hall  where 
Dieterlen  and  our  evangelists  had  been  cited  to  appear  as 
prisoners  three  years  before. 

At    Potchefstroom,  to   which  a  week's  journey  brought  us, 

*  The  survivors  reached  Damara-Iand  and  Benguella,  where  they  are  still 
living  under  the  German  and  Portuguese  Governments.  See  Mr.  Hepburn's 
"Twenty  Years  in  Kliama's  Country." 

6 


82  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1879 

we  found  the  same  interest.  We  arrived  there  on  a  Saturday 
evening.  Not  only  had  I  to  preach  the  next  morning  in  the 
Wesleyan  church,  and  at  night  in  one  of  the  Dutch  churches, 
but  they  prevailed  upon  me  to  stay  over  the  Monday,  and  in 
the  evening  I  was  obliged  to  do  the  best  part  of  the  talking 
at  a  public  conversazione,  convened  for  the  occasion.  The 
Wesleyan,  Dutch,  and  English  pastors  were  present.  We  were 
told  it  was  the  first  missionary  meeting  ever  held  in  Potchef- 
stroom  ;  and  they  might  have  added — in  the  Transvaal.  I  felt 
happy  to  plead  the  cause  of  missions  before  such  a  sympathetic 
assembly. 

Klerksdorp,  Jtine  2nd. 

We  arrived  here  on  Saturday  evening  (the  day  before 
yesterday)  in  time  to  pass  a  pleasant  Sunday,  but  a  little  too 
late  to  meet  a  party  of  Zambesi  traders  who  had  just  left  again. 
They  bring  news  which  gives  me  great  concern :  it  is  that  since 
my  departure  Nguana-wina,  the  expelled  king,  has  returned 
at  the  head  of  troops  from  Makumba-Kumbe,  fallen  upon 
several  petty  Barotsi  chiefs  of  my  acquaintance,  and  put  them 
to  death.  He  then  went  to  attack  Robosi  in  his  capital.  It 
seems  that  the  latter  had  time  to  gather  his  forces  to  resist 
him.     What  will  be  the  end  of  this  civil  war  ? 

Leribe,  Novetnber  \2th,  1879. 
How  I  wished  for  telepathic  communication,  so  that  you 
might  know  my  delight  on  learning  the  deficit  had  at  last  been 
wiped  out !  The  spirit  of  conquest  is  the  vital  principle  of 
mission  work.  The  Church  of  our  day  has  certainly  grasped 
this,  and  no  part  of  the  world  offers  a  more  striking  spectacle 
of  emulation,  enterprise,  and  zeal  than  our  Dark  Continent. 
Doubtless  science,  by  the  intrepidity  of  its  explorers,  gives 
a  powerful  impulse  to  this  movement.  But,  let  us  say  it  to 
the  glory  of  God,  the  Christians  of  England  and  America  show 
themselves  no  less  intrepid,  no  less  devoted,  than  the  geographers 
and  traders.  And  shall  not  we  take  a  part,  however  humble 
it  may  be,  in  the  evangelisation  of  Central  Africa?  Could 
we  not  from  now  onwards  create  a  special  fund  for  this  new 
mission?  You  will  have  learnt  officially  the  decision  of  our 
Synod  about  it.     The  urgency  of  this  work  seems  to  impress 


i879]  LERIBE  ONCE   MORE  83 

itself  on  every  one.  We  must  go  forward  ;  everything  drives  us 
But  it  is  felt  at  the  same  time  that  such  a  work  ought  not  to 
be  undertaken  lightly.  And  it  has  been  thought  that,  instead 
of  going  straight  back  to  the  Zambesi  regions,  as  I  begged 
to  be  allowed  to  do,  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  visit  France 
first.  This  decision  would  have  pained  my  wife  and  me  very 
acutely,  if  we  had  not  witnessed  the  good  spirit  and  perfect 
harmony  which  have  reigned  all  through  the  discussions  of  the 
Synod.  So  we  are  going  to  France,  as  we  should  have  gone 
to  the  Zambesi,  in  the  spirit  of  duty  and  obedience.  The  Lord 
shows  us  the  way  so  clearly  that  we  have  no  right  to  hesitate. 


December  yth,  1879. 

Starting  for  France  ?  We  must  believe  it,  though  we  cannot 
realise  it.  It  seems  to  us  that  this  is  only  taking  up  our 
expedition  again,  and  our  prayer  is  that  our  journeys  in  Europe 
may  be  yet  more  blessed  than  our  peregrinations  in  tropical 
Africa.  And  that  is  saying  much,  but  not  too  much.  If  we 
should  live  to  be  very  old,  these  two  and  a  half  years  would 
always  stand  out  for  us  like  summits  flooded  with  sunshine  in 
a  panorama  where  dark  shades  abound. 

The  spirit  of  the  Leribe  Churches  is  excellent.  A  little 
movement  which  had  shown  itself  recently  has  added  some 
members  to  our  class  of  catechumens,  and  what  rejoices  me 
is  that  these  arc  conquests  over  paganism.  Another  proof  is 
furnished  by  our  collections.  We  have  had  three  in  three 
months.  The  first  produced  a  little  more  than  £<^,  the  second 
nearly  ;^9  15^-.,  and  the  third  nearly  ^10.  The  collection  with 
us  is  a  part  of  the  service.  Each  brings  his  offering  to  the 
table,  and  the  whole  is  afterwards  consecrated  to  the  Lord  by 
prayer.  Nothing  touches  me  like  seeing  with  what  eagerness 
and  what  radiant  faces  the  little  ones  bring  their  mites.  Even 
the  babies  in  their  mothers'  arms  have  their  threepenny-bits, 
which  their  little  hands  put  into  the  Lord's  treasury.  They 
have  told  me  of  children  crying  because  they  had  nothing  for 
the  collection,  or  because  they  had  only  a  threepenny-bit,  the 
sou  of  this  country,  where  the  copper  of  Europe  is  not  yet 
known.  It  is  impossible  that  this  education  should  not  bear 
fruit  in  the  future  lives  of  these  little  creatures. 


84  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1879 

Our  meetings,  like  all  our  farewell  meetings,  were  solemn  : 
especially  the  last,  that  on  Monday  morning,  where  several 
spoke,  A  thrill  passed  through  me,  when  I  saw  my  old 
friend  rise,  Nathanael  Makotoko,  whose  friendship  of  more 
than  twenty  years  has  never  faltered.  At  first,  he  could 
hardly  control  himself.  Addressing  M.  Dormoy,  my  successor, 
"  Young  servant  of  God,"  he  said,  "  we  receive  you  with  love 
amongst  us  ;  but  it  is  needful  you  should  know  what  we  are 
passing  through  to-day.  You  see  us  assembled  here,  a  great 
company  :  we  are  saluting  our  spiritual  father  ;  we  know  him, 
and  he  knows  us.  Do  you  know  where  we  were  and  what  we 
were,  when,  young  like  you,  he  came  here,  twenty  years  ago  ? 
Where  we  were  ?  Lost  in  the  world  !  What  we  were  ?  Wild 
beasts  ;  yes,  beasts  of  the  field  ! "     And  he  burst  into  tears. 

This  moment  of  parting  had  awakened  memories.  Nathanael 
is  no  longer  the  young  man  of  old,  vigorous  and  valiant.  Of 
those  bygone  days,  nothing  is  left  him  but  the  scars  which 
recall  the  dauntless  courage  he  displayed  in  fighting  for  his 
country,  and  defending  the  fortress  of  Moshesh.  To-day,  he  is 
growing  grey,  he  is  shattered  ;  the  persecutions  he  suffered  from 
another  chief,  to  whom  he  had  devoted  himself,  have,  while 
fostering  his  piety,  left  a  shade  of  melancholy  upon  his  character. 
He  is  a  chief  too,  and  yet  he  works  on  the  roads  that  his  house 
may  maintain  its  position  ;  and  as  he  does  nothing  by  halves, 
he  works  like  a  convict.  No  evangelist  has  done  more  than  he. 
He  speaks  of  nothing  but  his  approaching  departure  for  the  sky, 
and  of  the  little  hope  we  can  cherish  of  seeing  each  other  again 
down  here.  However  that  may  be,  the  meeting-place  is  sure, 
and  it  is  not  far  distant.^ 

After  the  private  and  official  farewells,  and  a  last  interview 
with  Molapo,  to  whom  it  was  given  me  to  speak  once  more 
some  serious  words,  we  at  last  left  Leribe.  We  spent  the  first 
night  at  the  district  magistrate's,  Major  Bell,  who  had  specially 
invited  us.  The  report  had  gone  about  that  in  the  evening  I 
was  to  give  a  lecture  on  our  journeys  in  the  Court-house,  which 
had  been  arranged  for  it.  White  people  had  come  riding  and 
driving  from  great  distances,  in  spite  of  the  late  hour.  The 
room  was  packed.     Some  Basuto,  too,  moved  by  curiosity,  had 

*  Nathanael  Makotoko  is  still  alive  (1897). 


i88o]  STARTING   FOR   EUROPE  85 

collected  outside,  and  impromptu  interpreters  repeated  to  them 
all  that  was  being  said  inside.  We  went  on  to  Cana  and 
Berea  ;  and  there  too,  as  at  Leribe,  we  met  good  Christians,  who 
brought  us,  some  their  shillings,  others  a  little  flour  for  the  road. 

On  Board  the  "Conway  Casji.^"  January  20th,  1880. 

Our  journey  through  the  Colony,  after  crossing  the  Orange 
River,  was  by  no  means  devoid  of  interest.  We  did  part  of  it 
by  train,  a  novelty  to  people  like  ourselves,  who  had  not  heard 
the  puffing  of  the  iron  horse  for  twenty-three  years !  And 
here  the  railway  did  not  lack  local  colour.  Once  the  engine 
stopped  short  on  a  mountain-side.  There  was  no  station  near, 
and  every  one  ran  to  the  doors,  not  without  alarm.  But  our 
minds  were  quickly  relieved.  Right  down  in  the  valley  a 
farmer's  wife  was  waving  her  umbrella,  and  signalling  to  the 
guard  to  wait  for  her.  Soon  she  began  trying  to  run  up  the 
hill  with  her  daughters — no  easy  task  for  a  lady  of  her  propor- 
tions, under  a  burning  sun  and  the  relentless  gaze  of  her  future 
fellow-travellers.  But  she  got  there  all  the  same,  and  was 
received  with  a  storm  of  hurrahs.  After  which  episode  we 
continued  our  journey. 

At  Kimberley,  we  were  received  with  the  greatest  cordiality 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Calvert  of  blessed  memory  ;  it  was  of  him, 
if  I  mistake  not,  that  it  was  said,  "  He  arrived  at  the  Fiji  Islands 
without  finding  a  single  Christian  ;  he  quitted  them  without 
leaving  a  single  heathen." 

There  is  a  kind  of  free-masonry — the  real  kind  this — which 
unites  the  Lord's  builders  ;  but  one  feels  it  an  honour  to  be 
in  the  company  of  such  devoted  men — men,  too,  whom  God 
has  so  honoured. 

Here,  too,  we  were  invited  to  hold  a  meeting,  over  which  Sir 
Charles  Warren  presided,  and  the  audience  was  both  numerous 
and  sympathetic.  We  have  carried  away  the  happiest  memories 
of  Kimberley.  A  black  evangelist,  the  pastor  of  a  large  and 
active  congregation,  pressed  us  very  much  to  visit  him.  He 
sent  a  conveyance  for  us,  and,  when  we  arrived,  we  found  he 
had  arranged  a  perfect  festival  for  us.  When  we  left  the  meet- 
ing, the  evangelist  put  a  number  of  little  diamonds  into  my 
hands.  "  M.  Coillard,"  he  said,  "  these  represent  a  day's  work 
of  my  men  ;  choose  which  you  like." 


86  ON    THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1880 

I  took  a  long  time  to  look  over  them ;  there  were  yellow, 
black,  and  white.     At  last  I  chose  a  black  one. 

"  Oh,  but  that  is  the  least  valuable,"  he  said. 

"  Perhaps  so,  but  I  like  black  diamonds  ;  they  are  the 
jewels  I  am  seeking  myself  for  the  Saviour's  crown."  ^ 

Not  far  from  East  London,  seething  with  the  feverish  activity 
of  civilised  life,  Dr.  Stewart  and  his  excellent  wife  offered  us 
the  warmest  hospitality  at  Lovedale,  that  splendid  establish- 
ment with  its  thousands  of  Kaffir  pupils.  Our  voyage  through 
the  Colony  was  fatiguing  in  every  respect.  I  could  not  shake 
off  a  feeling  of  lassitude,  which  overcame  me  to  such  a  point 
that  all  the  sources  of  life  and  thought  seemed  dried  up  within 
me.  Dr.  Stewart  said  it  was  one  of  the  sequelae  of  the  Zambesi 
fever ;  and  he  himself,  since  his  return  from  Livingstonia,  has 
experienced  the  same  thing.  We  stayed  a  fortnight  at  the 
Cape.  I  did  not  feel  capable  of  going  on.  And  then,  too,  we 
wanted  to  leave  my  niece  at  the  Huguenot  Institution  at 
Stellenbosch  until  our  return.  I  need  not  speak  further  of 
the  interest  our  mission  aroused  in  all  the  Churches,  especially 
among  the  pastors  of  the  Dutch  Church. 

We  left  Cape  Town  on  January  13th  in  the  Comvay  Castle, 
and  spent  two  weeks  at  Madeira,  where  our  dear  friends  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Buchanan  and  his  wife  received  us  with  open  arms. 
It  was  a  time  of  physical  rest  and  deep  spiritual  refreshment. 

Madeira,  with  its  wonderful  scenery,  its  beautiful  sky,  its 
magnificent  climate,  but  also  the  human  misery  which  displays 
itself  everywhere,  and  the  shameless  beggary  which  accosts  you 
at  every  step,  is  a  ruin  and  a  petrifaction.  That  is  what  the 
phylloxera  and  Romanism  have  done  between  them.  There 
is  no  hope  for  the  poorer  classes  but  in  emigration. 

'  This  was  before  the  days  of  LD.B.  and  other  minhig  regulations. 
One  day  during  this  visit,  Mme,  Coillard  was  making  friends  with  a  dog 
in  the  street,  when  the  owner,  a  prosperous-looking  lady,  invited  them  both 
into  her  house.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  she  told  them  her  husband 
had  been  a  tailor,  and,  after  bringing  her  and  their  children  to  Kimberley, 
they  had  found  themselves  in  a  state  of  destitution,  not  being  able  to  get 
work.  Sitting  in  their  wretched  hut  one  day,  he  began  turning  over  the 
earthen  floor,  for  want  of  better  occupation,  and  found  diamonds.  It  was 
the  site  of  a  mine,  supposed  to  have  been  worked  out ;  but,  by  diligent  search, 
they  found  enough  small  diamonds  to  ay  the  foundations  of  a  comfortable 
fortune.     Such  things  would  not  be  possible  now. 


iSSo]  ARRIVAL   IN    PARIS  87 

Dr.  Kalley,  of  Edinburgh,  came  to  settle  there  about  1830, 
curing  the  sick  and  preaching  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom,  after 
the  example  of  his  Saviour.  Eighteen  years  later,  a  minister, 
also  Scotch,  Dr.  Hewitson,  came  to  help  him.  But  incessant 
and  terrible  persecutions  in  the  end  forced  these  servants  of  the 
Lord  to  leave  the  isle,  and  the  Madeira  Christians  to  exile 
themselves.  A  vessel  conveyed  the  latter  to  Trinidad,  and 
thence  most  of  them  went  to  America,  where  they  founded 
prosperous  Churches.  There  are  only  about  thirty  of  them  left 
in  Funchal,  all  very  poor,  but  rich  in  faith  and  life. 

Paris,  Ma/r/i  nth,  1880. 

Bless  the  Lord  with  us !  He  has  led  and  guarded  us ;  He 
has  brought  us  here  in  health  and  peace.  We  can  sing  the 
23rd  Psalm  with  overflowing  hearts. 

We  reached  Paris  the  evening  before  last.  After  twenty- 
three  years'  absence,  we  could  not  believe  we  were  once  more  in 
the  capital  of  the  world,  the  centre  of  modern  civilisation.  The 
next  day,  we  went  to  a  mission  sale.  I  would  not  have  missed 
it  for  worlds  ;  the  object  lies  too  near  my  heart.  It  was  for 
the  education  of  missionaries'  children.  We  have  no  children 
of  our  own,  but  we  are  all  the  more  interested  in  those  of  our 
little  colony  in  Bastuo-land. 

Shall  I  confess  it?  In  the  midst  of  all  these  people  who 
thronged  the  hall,  we  experienced  at  first  a  feeling  of  sadness 
and  isolation.  We  recognised  no  one  :  no  one  recognised  us. 
We  were  strangers  in  our  fatherland ! 

But,  after  all,  it  was  only  the  faces  that  had  altered  :  only 
the  "  earthly  tabernacles "  had  grown  old.  Directly  our  pre- 
sence was  known,  we  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  friends 
and  acquaintances.  "  Is  it  really  you  ?  How  glad  we  are  to 
see  you  back  again  !  "  And  some  added,  "  But  I  thought  you 
were  much  taller  and  bigger."  It  is  always  the  same,  you 
see  :  at  a  distance,  people  as  well  as  things  assume  abnormal 
proportions. 


CHAPTER    VII 

London — The  Whirlpool — A  Reminiscence— Coffee  Palaces  and  Cabmen — 
Mildmay  Conference — The  Sunday-School  Festival — Pleading  the  Cause 
of  Africa — Molapo's  Death — A  Contrast. 

London,  August  6ih,  1880. 

LONDON!  Another  landmark!  A  few  more  stages 
perhaps,  then  the  last,  and  the  journey  will  be  ended. 
Thus  every  milestone  we  pass  makes  life  more  solemn. 
London  is  the  centre  of  the  whirlpool  of  modern  commercial 
life.  And  this  life  seems  to  incarnate  itself  in  this  maze  of 
iron  roads,  among  these  trains  which  whistle,  cross,  and  intersect 
one  another,  from  the  roofs  of  the  houses  down  to  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  under  the  very  foundations  of  this  feverish  city, 
everywhere  casting  out  floods  of  human  beings.  A  stranger 
from  the  deserts,  seeing  these  multitudes  hurrying,  hustling 
one  another,  and  running  breathlessly  after  their  business, 
receives  a  painful  impression.  After  all,  London  is  a  desert  to 
him,  if  he  knows  no  one  there.  It  seems  that  in  this  perpetual 
movement  a  poor  man  is  not  allowed  to  stop.  The  moment  he 
sits  down  on  a  doorstep  to  rest  his  tired  limbs,  a  policeman 
comes  up  and  says  pitilessly,  "  Move  on,  move  on."  He  moves 
on,  only  to  hear  the  same  imperious  order,  until  at  last  he  seeks 
a  refuge  in  the  grave. 

And  yet  London  attracts  me.  Twenty-three  years  ago,  I 
passed  through  it  on  my  way  to  Africa.  At  that  time,  I  did 
not  know  a  word  of  English.  On  the  eve  of  our  departure,  I 
had  made  an  important  purchase  of  books ;  but  when  they  were 
brought  to  our  hotel  that  night,  I  found,  to  my  dismay,  that  I 
had  lost  the  banknote  into  which  I  had  changed  a/l  my  French 
money.  The  manager  of  the  hotel,  who  was  a  Christian,  paid 
my  bill ;  but  we  were  to  leave  next  day  at  eight  o'clock.    I  spent 


it^tioj  COFFEE    I'ALACES   AND   CAlJlMEN  89 

all  the  night  praying,  unpacking,  searching,  and  ransacking 
every  imaginable  thing — in  vain  !  As  early  as  possible,  I  went 
with  a  friend  to  all  the  shops  where  I  had  made  any  purchases 
the  previous  day  ;  but  they  laughed  in  my  face  at  the  idea  of 
enquiring  after  a  lost  banknote  in  a  London  shop.  I  was  at 
last  returning  sadly  to  our  hotel,  where  the  cabs  were  already 
waiting,  when  1  heard  a  voice  calling  me.  I  turned  back,  and 
went  into  a  stationer's  shop.  "Excuse  me,  but  did  you  not  buy 
something  here  yesterday  ?  "  "  Yes  ;  some  paper  and  an  ink- 
stand :  but  why?"  "  Did  you  not  lose  anything,  sir  ?  "  "Yes, 
indeed  ;  I  lost  a  banknote  :  have  you  found  it  by  any  chance  ?  " 
"  Here  it  is,  sir  ;  you  dropped  it  out  of  your  purse  yesterday." 

My  emotion  may  be  imagined.  To  recover  a  banknote  lost 
in  London — in  the  City — seemed  to  be  a  miracle  !  The  young 
man  who  restored  it  to  me  had  no  need  to  tell  me  he  feared 
God.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Y.M.C.A.  A  few  moments 
later,  we  left  London  and  em.barked  for  Africa. 

My  impressions  of  London,  this  time,  have  by  no  means 
effaced  the  first.  It  is  true  that  side  by  side  with  great  wealth 
exists  abject  misery,  but  nothing  is  more  touching  than  to  sec 
the  generosity  and  activity  displayed  by  Christians.  I  shall 
not  easily  forget  the  warm  reception  given  to  us  two  or  three 
times  in  Temperance  Coffee  Palaces,  and  with  what  uncere- 
monious heartiness  they  applauded  all  I  said.  The  poor  people 
wanted  to  make  a  collection.  I  only  expected  a  few  pence^  and 
they  handed  me  over  more  than  £2.  After  the  meeting,  a 
cabman  came  up  to  me  and  said,  "  I  am  going  to  take  you  home 
in  ray  cab,"  and  nothing  would  induce  him  to  accept  a  fare  from 
the  hands  of  a  friend.  We  met  several  of  these  cabmen,  whom 
we  recognised  as  brothers  in  Christ ;  and  such  meetings  are 
especially  pleasant  in  London.  Let  those  take  courage  who 
"  go  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,"  as  well  as  those  who 
search  "  the  highways  and  hedges."  Their  work  is  not  in  vain 
in  the  Lord. 

The  meetings  that  specially  interested  us  were  those  of 
Mildmay.  One  of  the  characteristic  features  of  these  meetings 
is  the  part  taken  by  laymen,  such  as  Mr.  Stevenson  Blackwood. 
What  power  there  is  in  the  piety  of  such  men  !  I  noticed  the 
same  thing  wherever  I  went  :  laymen  have  broken  tk.rough  all 
barriers,  and  carried  the  position,  even  in  the  Church  of  England. 


90  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1880 

And  what  astonishes  me  no  less  is  their  knowledge  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  In  fact,  wherever  you  go  now,  you  hear  nothing 
talked  of  but  "  Bible  readings,"  You  would  think  people  had 
only  just  struck  on  this  diamond  mine  ;  and  certainly  never 
were  such  riches  dug  out  of  it. 

The  Mildmay  meetings  were  scarcely  over  when  those  of 
the  Sunday-school  centenary  began.  We  were  present  at  the 
great  demonstration  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  Such  an  event  is 
an  epoch  in  a  man's  life.  I  seem  still  to  hear  that  choir  of 
five  thousand  picked  voices  within  the  Palace  itself,  and  then 
that  of  thirty  thousand  in  the  Palace  garden,  singing,  not  music 
written  for  effect,  but  hymns  in  praise  of  the  Saviour.  In  such 
demonstrations,  and  their  popularity,  there  is  not  only  some- 
thing profoundly  impressive,  but  something,  too,  which  reveals 
the  secret  of  this  nation's  power.  At  every  step  this  secret 
betrays  itself:  even  the  public  monuments  proclaim  it.  With 
us,  you  see  everywhere  "  Liberie,  egalite,  fraternite."  Here, 
inscriptions  like  this,  "  Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not  unto  us,  but 
unto  Thy  name  give  glory  "  ("  Non  nobis,  Domiiie  ")  ;  or  even, 
as  on  the  front  of  the  Royal  Exchange,  "  The  earth  is  the  Lord's, 
and  the  fulness  thereof." 

After  the  meetings  of  which  I  have  just  spoken,  I  found 
my  work  had  been  cut  out  for  me  ;  so,  with  our  devoted  friend 
Major  Malan,  I  bravely  took  the  field,  and  pleaded  for  Africa 
and  the  Zambesi  wherever  I  was  given  the  opportunity.  We 
began  with  the  House  of  Commons,  where  Captain  Gosset,  the 
Serjeant-at-Arms,  had  brought  together  in  his  rooms  some 
Christian  friends,  eminent  men,  who  took  a  great  interest  in 
the  evangelisation  of  Africa.  Afterwards  we  had  drawing-room 
meetings  here  and  there,  and  then  made  a  tour  in  the  country  : 
Aldershot,  Guildford,  Weymouth,  Dorchester,  Wareham,  Wool- 
wich, Wimbledon,  and  Sevenoaks  were  thus  visited.  Everywhere 
we  had  interesting  meetings,  each  having  its  own  special  stamp. 
Here,  it  would  be  a  colonel  who  presided  in  true  British  fashion, 
and  the  meeting  had  a  martial  tone  ;  there,  it  would  be  the 
mayor  in  a  public  room,  or  even  in  the  townhall  itself ; 
elsewhere,  again,  it  was  a  Church  of  England  clergyman  who 
had  put  himself  to  expense  for  the  occasion  had  had  a  large 
marquee  erected  on  his  lawn,  and  assembled  all  the  elite  of 
the  place  ;   once,  it  was  even   a  bishop,  Mr.  Moule,  who   has 


THE  DISARMAMENT  ACT  9I 

laboured  for  long  years  in  China  as  a  missionary,  and  is  going 
back  as  a  bishop.  Just  think  of  China  pleading  for  Africa,  and 
the  Church  of  England  giving  a  token  of  affection  to  the 
Reformed  Churches  of  France  and  Switzerland  !  Going  from 
place  to  place  like  this,  making  fresh  acquaintances  and  seeing 
new  faces  every  day,  is  very  fatiguing,  and  requires  more  courage 
than  one  would  think.  But  beside  a  gallant  officer,  who  would 
feel  cowardly  ? 

The  time  of  our  visit  to  England  was  very  ill  chosen.  It 
was  the  end  of  the  season  ;  every  one  was  tired  of  meetings 
and  collections  ;  and  I  dare  say  more  than  one  person,  on 
seeing  the  notices  announcing  the  Rev.  F.  Coillard  and  Major 
Malan,  said  to  themselves,  "  What !  another  meeting  !  another 
collection  ! "  But  what  would  be  the  use  of  our  collecting  the 
money  needed,  scraping  it  together  no  matter  how,  and  then 
finding  ourselves  left  in  the  lurch  as  soon  as  the  work  was 
begun?  The  money  will  find  itself:  the  great  thing  is  to 
awaken  a  living  interest  which  will  sustain  us  when  we  have 
gone  to  the  front. 

Meanwhile,  I  received  a  telegram  one  day,  announcing  the 
arrival  of  my  friend  Mabille  at  Southampton.  He  brought  me 
sad  news.  First,  of  the  disarming  of  the  Basuto,  and  since 
then  telegrams  have  been  arriving  one  after  the  other,  causing 
us  the  greatest  anxiety.  Now,  it  seems  the  excitement  is  dying 
down.  The  Basuto  will  not  revolt,  thank  God !  All  the  more 
crying  is  the  injustice  to  which  they  have  been  subjected  ;  and 
nothing  can  extenuate  it,  unless  it  is  the  fact,  as  they,  poor 
things,  suggest  themselves,  that  they  have  black  skins.  "And 
yet,"  they  add  in  their  prayers,  "  it  is  Thyself,  Lord,  Who  hast 
made  us  black." 

Another  piece  of  news  which  went  to  our  hearts  was  that 
of  Azael's  death.*  What  a  loss  !  He  was  the  oldest  of  the 
band.  Converted  late  in  life  by  the  instrumentality  of  Eleazar 
Maralhanc,  he  was  but  little  developed  intellectually.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  he  was  one  of  the  most  pious  men  I  have  ever 
met  in  Africa.  He  was  a  kindly  man  who  did  not  know  how 
to  be  angry,  everybody's  friend,  full  of  simple  faith,  always  the 
same,  always  feeding  on  the  Word  of  God  and  prayer.     And 

'  See  pages  78,  79. 


92  ON   THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [iSSo 

God  has  taken  him  !  Well,  well  !  We  are  always  trembling 
for  the  Ark  of  the  Lord,  always  ready  to  cry  out  and  stretch 
forth  our  hands  to  keep  it  from  falling  !  He  knows  what  He 
is  doing. 

The  other  day,  at  an  underground  railway  station,  I  hap- 
pened to  take  up  a  newspaper,  and  read  this  :  "  The  chief 
Molapo  of  Basuto-land  is  dead."  I  felt  stunned  ;  the  words 
seemed  to  swim  before  my  eyes.  What !  Molapo  dead  !  How 
mysterious,  how  inscrutable,  are  the  ways  of  God  !  No  one  who 
did  not  know  what  Molapo  had  been  to  me,  and  what  I  had 
perhaps  been  to  him  during  my  missionary  career,  could  under- 
stand what  I  felt.  Alas  !  I  was  his  Micaiah  !  He  thought  that 
in  religious  matters  I  never  prophesied  anything  good  for  him. 
As  a  man  he  possessed  fine  qualities.  He  gave  signal  proof  of 
intelligence  and  bravery  in  his  youth,  thus  gaining  the  favour 
of  his  father  Moshesh,  and  obtained  great  influence  in  the 
country.  He  was  born  to  command,  and  could  not  brook 
opposition.  He  made  every  one  tremble  before  him,  and  the 
spell  of  his  name  lay  heavy  as  lead  over  his  whole  district  ;  not 
the  remotest  hamlet  but  felt  its  weight  Immensely  rich  in 
cattle,  as  later  on  in  specie,  he  made  use  of  his  wealth  as  a 
means  of  subjugating  all  wills  to  his  own.  Like  all  tyrants,  he 
would  take  the  lead  in  everything,  and  rule  the  progress  of 
civilisation  and  the  Gospel  according  to  his  own  caprices. 
Nevertheless,  his  opulent  nature  had  beautiful  impulses  of 
generosity,  that  set  him  in  happy  contradiction  to  his  usual  self  ; 
but,  jealous  of  his  authority,  and  intoxicated  with  his  power  and 
the  flatteries  of  his  petty  courtiers,  he  had  grown  suspicious, 
irritable,  unjust,  and  extraordinarily  suspicious.  No  one  who 
had  read  the  touching  story  of  his  conversion  would  doubt  its 
reality.  If  he  had  remained  a  Christian,  he  would  have  been  the 
salvation  of  the  tribe.  Unhappily,  he  relapsed  into  heathenism, 
and  became  the  most  implacable  and  formidable  enemy  of 
the  Gospel.  Shortly  before  my  arrival  in  Basuto-land,  he  had 
persecuted  the  Christians  of  his  district  as  much  as  lay  in 
his  power,  stripped  the  most  conspicuous  of  their  cattle,  and 
deprived  others  of  their  fields  :  he  was  always  on  the  alert  to 
stop  a  sinner  on  the  way  to  conversion,  if  possible.  And  yet  his 
conscience  still  spoke,  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts  to  stifle  it.  It  is 
asserted  that,  for  a  long  time,  he  never  went  to  rest  without 


DEATH   OF    MOLAPO  93 

reading  the  Word  of  God  and  praying,  even  while  he  was  living 
in  sin.  At  times,  the  struggle  was  such  as  to  affect  his  reason. 
Then  he  would  flee  to  the  mountains,  and  retire  with  a  few 
attendants  to  a  cave.  I  often  had  most  intimate  conversations 
with  him  ;  and  one  day  I  asked  him,  during  one  of  these  private 
talks  :  "  Tell  me  frankly,  Molapo,  what  did  you  feel  when  you 
were  converted  ?  Do  you  believe  that  you  were  only  a  Christian 
in  name  then  ?  or  did  some  real  change  take  place  in  you  ?  " 

He  looked  fixedly  at  me.  "  My  pastor,"  he  said  at  last,  sigh- 
ing, "  it  was  not  any  illusion  of  my  imagination.  In  here,"  pointing 
to  his  breast,  "  there  was  a  fire  that  devoured  me — I  could  not 
hold  it  in  ;  but  now,"  he  added  in  a  tone  of  bitter  sadness,  "  it 
has  all  gone  out — there  is  nothing  left  but  a  heap  of  ashes.  As 
to  the  things  of  God,  I  no  longer  understand  them  :  it  is  like 
the  sound  of  a  chariot  that  has  disappeared  into  the  distance." 

Another  time,  when  I  went  to  him  to  beg  for  the  liberation 
of  six  of  his  wives,  who  were  to  be  baptised,  he  said,  after  a  long 
discussion,  "  I  will  set  free  four  of  these  women,  but  not  the  two 
others.  I  know  what  it  is  to  be  converted  ;  my  own  baptismal 
name  was  Jeremiah.  These  four  women  are  really  converted  ; 
the  others  are  not  ;  and  if  you  baptise  them,  you  will  one  day 
see  I  was  right."  And,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  one  of  these  latter, 
after  some  years  of  Christian  profession,  did  fall  into  sin,  and 
returned  to  paganism. 

On  my  return  from  the  Zambesi,  I  found  him  attacked  with 
a  partial  paralysis,  which  had  affected  his  face.  But  our  prayers 
had  not  been  granted  :  his  heart  was  in  no  way  softened,  and  he 
still  kept  harassing  our  Christians.  M.  Dormoy  wrote  to  me 
again  only  a  little  time  ago  that  another  of  our  members  found 
himself  obliged  not  only  to  leave  the  station,  but  to  emigrate 
from  the  country,  on  account  of  the  perpetual  injustice  of  which 
he  was  the  victim.  And  the  next  news  was  that  of  Molapo's 
death  !  In  spite  of  all  our  exhortations,  all  our  prayers,  and 
those  of  the  Church,  in  spite  of  his  own  conflicts,  and  the  cries 
of  his  conscience,  can  he  have  died  an  apostate,  only  "  breathing 
out  blasphemies  against  Christians  and  the  Gospel,"  as  they 
wrote  to  me  a  little  while  since  ?  Who  can  penetrate  the 
secrets  of  a  soul  with  his  God  ?  and  who  can  say  whether  at  the 
last  hour  this  wandering  child  did  not  fall  into  the  arms  of  his 
Father  ? 


94  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1880 

My  position  towards  him,  and  my  deep  affection  for  him, 
make  me  feel  the  anguish  of  David  over  the  death  of  Absalom.^ 

Another  friendly  face  at  Leribe  had  also  passed  away  some 
weeks  before,  that  of  Elia  Mapike,  also  one  of  the  first  converts 
of  MM.  Casalis  and  Arbousset.  He  was  a  weak  man,  and, 
like  David,  had  a  deplorable  fall  ;  but  he  was  restored,  and 
always  remained  a  faithful  Christian,  in  spite  of  the  terrible 
temptations  which  beset  him.  He  was  an  elder  of  our  Church  ; 
and  his  peaceful,  happy  end  contrasted  with  that  of  Molapo, 
the  man  who  had  persecuted  him  so  malignantly,  and  with 
whom  he  was  to  appear  before  God.  His  last  words  were 
characteristic.      He   had,  like    Moses,   chosen   rather   to   suffer 

'  Molapo  and  his  brother  Letsie  were  the  two  first  Basuto  to  welcome  the 
French  missionaries  in  the  name  of  their  father,  the  chief  Moshesh,  in  1833. 
Seven  years  later,  Molapo,  the  younger,  declared  himself  a  Christian,  and  was 
baptised.     His  was  not  a  nature  to  do  anything  by  halves  ;  and  nothing  was 
lacking  either  in  his  conduct,  his  astonishing  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
his  complete  abandonment  of  heathenism,  or  his  zeal  for  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel.     He  made  a  Christian  {i.e.  not  a  cattle)  marriage  with  Lydia,  the  first 
woman  baptised  in  Basuto-land.    His  courage,  generosity,  and  great  intelligence 
made  him  the  idol  alike  of  his  father,  his  tribe,  and  all  the  missionaries.     But 
his  abilities  being  greater  than  those  of  his  elder  brother  Letsie,  Mosliesh,  to 
avoid  collisions  between  them,  assigned  him  the  district  of  Lerib6  to  govern, 
the  only  condition  being  that  he  should  have  a  resident  missionary,  which  he 
too  desired.     Unfortunately,  the  Paris  Society  had  not  a  man  to  send,  nor 
yet  the  means  to  maintain  one.     Hence,  it  was  settled  he  should  only  make 
administrative  tours  in  his  province,  delaying  his  establishment  there  till  he 
could  have  a  missionary.     Gradually  his  visits  grew  longer  and  longer.     He 
got  into  the  habit  of  doing  without  the  ministry  of  a  pastor.     His  district,  too, 
became   the  refuge  of  those  who   wished  to  escape   from   the   missionary 
sphere,  and  their  influence  was  too  strong.     First  tolerating  pagan  customs, 
he    next   yielded    to    them,   and    became    a  polygamist,    and   by   the   time 
M.  Coillard  was  appointed  to  the  district  the  mischief  was  done.     Incessant 
conflicts  with  the  Boers  on  his  frontiers,  while  all  the   missionaries  were 
exiled,  fostered  in  him  a  hatred  of  everything  connected  with  white  men. 
Before  long,    he   was   actually   persecuting   all  Christians.      On   his   death- 
bed, he  was  jealously  guarded  by  two  attendants,  who  would  not  allow  the 
missionary  or  any  other  Christian  to   come   near   him.     But   his  first  and 
still   faithful   wife,    Lydia,    was   summoned   with    Rahab,    another   Christian 
woman,  and  they  daily  read  the  Bible  aloud  and  prayed  with  him.      One 
night,  he   burst   into   tears,  and  begged  that  they  would  remove  him  from 
where   he  was,  and  take  him  to  the  missionary's.     But  he   was   dying  of 
paralysis,  and  before  the  missionary's  arrival  he  had  already  lost  the  power 
of  speech. 


x88o]  A  CONTRAST  95 

affliction  with  the  children  of  God  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  sin  for  a  season,  and  he  had  a  foretaste  of  future  bHss. 
Though  he  was  a  happy  Christian,  yet,  when  the  first  rays  of 
heavenly  glory  were  lighting  up  the  tomb,  he  went  down  to 
it  with  a  joy  never  felt  before,  which  he  expressed  in  these 
words  :  "  Kalo  has^  phetJio  !  "  "  The  beginning  is  nothing  to 
the  end  ! " 


t~         o 


X      2,- 

>    ~ 


PART    II 
THE  BAROTSI  EXPEDITION 

1882— 1887 


O  God  of  Bethel,  by  Whose  hand 

Thy  people  still  are  fed, 
Who  through  this  weary  pilgrimage 

Hast  all  our  fathers  led  ! 

Through  each  perplexing  path  of  life 
Our  wandering  footsteps  guide, 

Give  us  each  day  our  daily  bread, 
And  raiment  fit  provide. 

Oh  spread  Thy  covering  wings  around, 
Till  all  our  wanderings  cease. 

And  at  our  Father's  loved  abode 
Our  souls  arrive  in  peace  1 


97 


THE    BAROTSI    EXPEDITION 

January  1884  to  January  1887 
CHRONICLE 


Aug.  1882  

Jan.  2nd,  1884 

,.    30th  

Feb.  nth  or  12th 

,,     23rd — March  3rd 
March  15th — 30th 

April  8th  

,,     15th— 26th 

May  21st  

,,  24th — June  1st  .. 
July  15th  (about) 

,,     26th  

Aug.  loth— Sept.  24th 

Dec.  i2th  

Jan.    8th,     1885   (first 
voyage) 

Feb.  nth  

Aug.  14th — 2ISt 

,,     29th 
Sept.  24th 

Nov.  4th 


Dec.  20th  (about) 
March  6th,  1886 

23rd 
April  17th 
June  15th 


Aug.  1 6th 


(Sept.  22nd 
Oct.  nth 
Dec.  2nd 

..      15th 
Jan.  loth,  li 
March  4th 


Return  of  M.  and  Mme.  Coillard  to  Lerib^. 
Expedition  started  for  Barotsi-land. 

,,  reached  Pretoria. 

,,  left  Pretoria. 

,,  delayed  at  Saul's  Poort. 

,,  ,,  ,,  Marico  River. 

,,  reached  Shoshong  (Khama's). 

M.    Coillard  to  Selcka  to  fetch  the  evangelist   Aaron  and  his 

family. 
Expedition  left  Shoshong. 

,,  delayed  at  Kan6. 

,,  reached  Pata-matenga. 

,,  ,,        Leshonia  (right  bank  of  Zambesi). 

M.  Coillard  starts  for  the  capital,  and  is  turned  back  by  news 

of  revolution  deposing  King  Robosi  (Lewanika). 
M.  Coillard,   with  Aaron  and  Middleton,  starts  for  Lealuyi  by 

canoe. 
M.  Coillard  officially  received  by  King  Akufuna  (Tatira),  and 

invited  to  establish  a  station  as  soon  as  floods  permit  of 

transport. 
M.  Coillard  returns  to  Leshoma. 
Expedition  crosses  Zambesi  to  Kazungula. 
Catechists  Aaron  and  Levi  stationed  at  Mambova. 
Expedition  reaches  Sesheke— Station  established  under  M.  Jean- 

mairet's  charge. 
Marriage  of  Elise  Coillard  and  M.  Jeanmairet. 
News  of  counter  revolution  restoring  Lewanika  to  power,  and 

preventing  establishment  of  a  station  at  the  capital. 
Middleton  sent  to  Pretoria  to  renew  exhausted  supplies. 
M.  Coillard's  second  voyage  to  Lealuyi  {alone). 
Official  reception  by  King  Lewanika. 
M.  Coillard  returns  to  Sesheke. 
Middleton  returns  from  Pretoria,  and  is  detained  six  weeks  at 

Kazungula. 
M.  Coillard  and  Waddell,  Aaron  and  Middleton,  start  for  Sefula 
to  found  station,  taking  the  waggons,  and  travelling  over- 
land. 
Birth  of  Marguerite  Jeanmairet  at  Sesheke.) 
Expedition  arrives  at  Sefula — Station  founded. 
M.  Coillard  returns  to  Sesheke  to  fetch  Mme.  Coillard. 
M.  and  Mme.  Coillard  start  for  Sefula. 
,,  ,,  ,,        arrive  at  Sefula. 

Foundation  of  school  at  Sefula  station. 


THE     BAROTSI     EXPEDITION 

IT  was  in  August  1882  that  M.  and  Mme.  Coillard  returned 
to  Leribe.  During  their  furlough  (it  could  scarcely  be  called 
a  holiday)  of  two  and  a  half  years,  they  had  travelled  through 
France,  England,  Scotland,  and  the  Protestant  communities  of 
Switzerland,  Italy,  Holland,  and  Belgium,  awakening  interest 
in  the  new  Barotsi  Mission.  The  Paris  Committee  felt  unable 
to  accept  the  onus  of  so  risky  and  costly  an  experiment,  but 
it  was  sympathetic  and  encouraging,  and  undertook  to  receive 
any  contributions  subscribed  to  a  special  fund  for  the  purpose. 
The  sum  of  ;i^5,ooo  had  to  be  collected  :  an  English  friend 
headed  the  list  with  ;^i,ooo;  the  rest  was  got  together  little 
by  little.  Basuto-land  was  to  maintain  its  own  evangelists,  and 
Europe  the  Europeans,  the  whole  responsibility  being  cast  upon 
M.  Coillard,  for  the  field  seemed  highly  unpromising.  The 
country  was  generally  believed  to  be  the  unhealthiest  in  South 
Africa ;  and  it  was  inhabited  by  about  seventeen  different  tribes, 
nominally  under  the  sway  of  the  Barotsi  kings,  but  perpetually 
at  war  with  one  another.  The  difficulties  of  getting  there  were 
almost  overwhelming.  Nevertheless,  when  the  Coillards  left 
Europe,  it  was  with  the  intention  of  starting  immediately  for 
the  Zambesi. 

But  they  found  the  state  of  things  in  Basuto-land  very 
different  from  what  they  had  left  two  years  before.  The  war 
which  followed  the  Disarmament  Act  had  changed  everything. 
Many  of  the  Christians  had  died  or  apostatised  ;  Churches  had 
been  broken  up  ;  civil  war  was  raging  between  the  loyal  and 
the  rebel  chiefs  ;  and  the  people  were  so  impoverished,  spiritually 
as  well  as  materially,  that  to  rely  on  any  substantial  help  from 
them  was  out  of  the  question.  Before  going  farther  afield,  it 
was  absolutely  necessary  to  reconstruct  the  work  at  Lerib6 
and  a  year  and  five  months  were  thus  spent.     In  December  1882, 

99 


100  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S84 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wcitzccker  arrived  from  Italy  to  take  up  the 
work  of  the  station.  They  were  the  first  missionaries  the 
Waldensian  Church  ever  sent  to  the  foreign  field,  and  their 
coming  gave  the  first  impulse  to  the  movement  which  has 
since  led  that  Church,  poor  as  it  is  in  wealth  and  numbers,  to 
send  ten  workers  to  South  Africa  from  its  fifteen  parishes.  In 
January  1884,  the  long  caravan  at  last  set  out  for  the  Barotsi 
Valley. 

The  party  consisted  of  M.  and  Mme.  Coillard,  their  niece 
Elise,  and  M.  Jeanmairet,  a  young  Swiss  missionary,  with  the 
evangelists  Isaiah  and  Levi  and  their  families,  and  two  artisans, 
Middleton  and  Waddell,  the  former  English,  the  latter  Scotch. 
The  start  was  made  under  depressing  circumstances.  The 
indispensable  drivers  and  cattleherds  were  no  longer  an  eager 
band  of  volunteers,  as  in  the  first  expedition,  but  merely  hired 
servants.  Moreover,  during  the  long  delay,  the  enthusiasm  of 
many  supporters,  both  in  Europe  and  Africa,  had  cooled  down  ; 
and  so  deplorable  was  the  state  of  Basuto-land,  that  many  of 
their  colleagues  and  other  equally  devoted  friends  of  missions 
thought  they  were  forsaking  an  immediate  and  a  crying  need 
for  a  mere  quixotic  enterprise.  But  the  Coillards  felt  too  strong 
a  conviction  of  their  call  to  hesitate.  When  they  passed  through 
the  Transvaal,  the  Boer  Government,  by  this  time  reinstated 
at  Pretoria,  at  first  made  great  difficulties  ;  but  in  the  end  it 
gave  way,  and  remitted  all  customs  duties.  At  Shoshong,  the 
party  was  rejoined  by  the  catechist  Aaron  and  his  family,  who 
had  been  left  to  carry  on  mission  work  at  Seleka  ever  since  the 
previous  expedition  had  halted  there,  in  March  1879. 

At  the  time  of  the  first  expedition,  trade  with  the  Barotsi 
Valley  had  been  entirely  in  the  hands  of  native  and  half-caste 
Portuguese  merchants,  but  it  had  since  then  been  opened  up  to 
white  traders  from  the  south.  The  devoted  missionary  explorer 
Mr.  F.  S.  Arnot  had  been  over  two  years  at  Lealuyi,  keeping 
the  place  open,  in  spite  of  terrible  difficulties  and  privations.^ 
The  mission  party  reached  Leshoma  on  July  26th,  1884,  and 
was  preparing  to  cross  the  Zambesi,  when  news  arrived  that 
Mr.  Arnot's  health  had  obliged  him  to  leave  for  Benguella, 
and    that    immediately    after    his    departure    a    revolution    had 

'  See  Mr.  Arnot's  book  "  Garenganze  "  (Hawkins  &  Co.). 


iS85]  THE   BAROTSI    EXPEDITION  lOI 

broken  out,  by  which  the  king,  Robosi  (Lewanika),  had  been 
driven  into  exile.  The  country  was  in  a  state  of  anarchy, 
which  continued  until  his  restoration  in  October  1885  ;  and 
this  obliged  the  missionaries  to  stay  thirteen  months  at  Leshoma. 
In  August  1885,  the  expedition  crossed  the  river,  and 
a  station  was  established  at  Scsheke,  under  the  charge  of 
M.  Jeanmairet,  whose  marriage  with  Elise  Coillard  took  place 
in  the  following  November.  Soon  after  Lewanika  returned  to 
power,  he  sent  for  M.  Coillard  (March  1886),  received  him  very 
cordially,  and  pointed  out  a  site  for  the  station  ;  but  meanwhile 
supplies  had  run  out,  and  the  missionaries  had  been  obliged  to 
send  all  the  waggons  to  Pretoria  to  renew  them.  Consequently, 
it  was  not  until  Mr.  Middleton  returned  with  them,  that  the 
materials  necessary  for  founding  the  new  station  could  be 
transported  to  the  interior.  It  was  on  August  i6th  that  the 
pioneers  started,  and  the  journey  of  two  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  occupied  exactly  two  months.  They  followed  the  native 
paths,  cutting  a  road  through  the  forest,  step  by  step,  to  allow 
of  the  waggons  passing.  Sefula,  the  site  of  the  future  station, 
nineteen  miles  from  Lealuyi,  the  capital,  was  finally  reached 
on  September  i  ith. 

As  soon  as  the  work  of  installation  had  been  put  in  train 
M.  Coillard  hastened  back  to  Sesheke  for  his  wife  (who  had 
been  obliged  by  the  state  of  Mme.  Jeanmairet's  health  to  remain 
with  her  for  a  time),  and  together  they  reached  Sefula  on 
January  loth,  1887.  This  date  marked  the  conclusion  of  the 
Barotsi  Expedition,  and  the  commencement  of  the  Barotsi 
Mission. 

C.  W.    M. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

The  Return  to  Africa — Arrival  at  the  Cape — The  Huguenot  School — 
Stcllenbosch — Wellington — Natal — Travelling  New  Style  and  Old  Style 
- — A  Trying  Journey — Arrival  at  Leribe — Disastrous  Effects  of  the  War — 
Jubilee  of  the  S.M.E.P. — Disappointments — Tour  with  M.  Jeanmairet 
among  the  Churches — An  Appeal  to  the  Friends  of  Missions — Arrival  of 
the  Weitzeckers — Departure  from  Leribe. 

Leribe,  August  2(jth,  18S2. 

BY  God's  goodness,  we  have  at  last  arrived  at  Leribe.  We 
had  to  regret  five  or  six  days  delay  at  the  Cape  ;  but  we 
profited  by  it  to  go  to  Wellington,  and  shake  hands  once  more 
with  that  venerable  veteran  M.  Bisseux,^  who  still  represents 
the  heroic  days  of  the  beginnings  of  our  mission.  We  also 
visited  the  Huguenot  School.  The  creation  of  this  establish- 
ment, due  to  the  efforts  of  a  truly  apostolic  pastor,  Mr.  Andrew 
Murray,  has  initiated  an  important  reform  in  the  system  of 
education  for  young  girls  in  South  xA^frica.  It  is  a  home  rather 
than  a  school.  Every  day  the  pupils  there  devote  about  an  hour 
to  domestic  work  ;  but  the  hour  is  reckoned  in  vnJl!!t^s,  to 
remind  them  of  the  value  of  time.  At  the  same  time,  they 
carry  on  really  serious  studies  there.  To  me,  one  of  the  best 
fruits  of  the  system  and  the  influence  of  the  house  is  the  fact 
that  many  of  the  pupils  on  leaving  feel  the  desire  to  do  some- 
thing for  others,  and  in  their  turn  devote  themselves  to  teaching 
Already,  institutions  of  this  kind  are  arising  in  the  principal 
towns  of  the  Colony,  the  Free  State,  and  the    Transvaal.     It 

•  M.  Bissoux,  one  ot  the  first  party  of  French  Protestant  missionaries  to 
land  in  South  Africa  in  1829,  died  in  1896.  These  missionaries,  when  they  first 
arrived,  were  welcomed  by  the  colony  of  descendants  of  French  Huguenots 
at  the  Cape,  who  begged  M.  Bisseux  to  stay  with  them  and  be  a  missionary 
to  their  native  servants  ;  and  to  this  work  he  devoted  his  whole  life,  never 
returning  to  France. 

102 


i882]  AT   THE   CAPE  lOj 

was  a  beautiful  thought  on  Mr.  Andrew  Murray's  part  to 
connect  this  work  with  France,  by  calling  it  the  Huguenot 
School.  It  is  a  homage  to  the  memory  of  our  persecuted 
forefathers,  many  of  whom  sought  refuge  at  the  Cape,  and 
whose  names  are  still  met  with  among  the  pupils  of  the  school 
at  Wellington. 

We  also  visited  Stellenbosch :  it  is  a  little  Edinburgh, 
a  centre  of  education.  There  is  a  girls'  school  of  the  same 
kind  as  the  one  at  Wellington — two,  indeed,  one  of  which  belongs 
to  the  Rhenish  Mission,  and  is  very  prosperous.  Above  all, 
there  is  the  Theological  Faculty  of  the  Dutch  Church :  it  is 
thoroughly  evangelical,  and  has  been  a  source  of  great  blessing 
to  the  country.  What  especially  rejoices  us  is  to  see  the 
missionary  spirit  developing  in  the  Dutch  Church,  and  gradually 
dissipating  the  prejudices  of  former  days.  Thus  among  the 
theological  students,  at  the  same  table  and  on  the  same  benches 
there  is  actually  a  young  man  of  colour.  This  is  a  victory 
indeed.  The  Rev.  Th.  Ferguson  has  also  carried  on  for 
some  years  a  missionary  school,  which  has  already  sent  out 
workers,  and  which  numbers  many  pupils,  all  Dutch  or 
colonists. 

At  the  Cape,  I  was  naturally  occupied  with  Basuto-land 
business.  I  saw  the  Governor,  the  Ministers,  and  some  members 
of  Parliament.  Then,  after  eight  days'  coasting  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  we  were  at  Natal,  and  were  cordially  welcomed  at 
Durban  by  old  friends.  We  next  started  for  Pietermaritzburg. 
It  was  not  in  ox-waggons  that  we  did  the  fifty  miles  this  time, 
but  on  a  real  railway,  still  a  great  novelty.  The  line  is  simple 
and  very  narrow — no  tunnels  ;  it  follows  the  contours  of  the 
mountains,  and  gently  climbs  the  slopes  when  necessary,  and 
then  the  unpleasant  rocking  makes  one  feel  sea-sick,  and  calls 
forth  loud  abuse  from  the  passengers  on  all  sides.  But  in 
imagination  we  were  going  over  the  adventurous  journeys  of 
olden  times ;  we  were  enjoying  the  grand  panorama  that 
unrolled  itself  before  us,  and  were  thankful  and  happy.  A 
farmer  was  sitting  beside  me  ;  and  in  the  evening,  when  we 
stopped  at  a  station,  and  every  one  had  run  into  the  buffet  or 
the  bar,  my  neighbour  came  to  me,  as  I  was  walking  up  and 
down  the  platform.  "  Sir,"  he  said,  "  will  you  share  my  food  ?  " 
It  was  biscuit.      I  was  not  hungry  ;  indeed,  I  have  no  particular 


104  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1882 

fancy  for  that  kind  of  bread.  But  his  invitation  was  so  cordial, 
that  I  broke  the  brick,  and  began  to  nibble  it,  chatting  with 
him  meanwhile.  It  was  truly  a  bit  of  Africa — hospitable  Africa  ! 
I  do  not  remember  such  a  thing  ever  happening  to  me  in  all 
my  European  journeys. 

Many  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  fourteen  years  since 
we  left  Natal.  The  Zulu,  who  inhabit  it  or  have  sought  refuge 
there,  are  reckoned  at  nearly  four  hundred  thousand.  For 
the  sixteen  or  eighteen  thousand  colonists,  the  great  ques- 
tion of  the  day  is  the  labour  question,  as  at  the  Cape.  The 
Zulu  are  so  proud  and  independent  that  they  only  work  to 
get  the  means  of  obtaining  wives  for  themselves.  Thus,  people 
are  obliged  to  import  coolies  from  India.  And  to-day,  these 
coolies  are  everywhere  :  on  the  railroad,  in  the  shops,  the  hotels, 
the  private  houses,  the  market,  and  the  prisons.  Their  shops 
and  their  Oriental  costumes  impart  a  distinctive  character  to  the 
towns  of  Natal.  People  say  they  are  born  shopkeepers ;  and 
their  stores,  thronged  with  customers,  are  looked  on  with  no 
favour  by  those  tradesmen  who  cannot  compete  with  them- 
The  Wcsleyan  Church  carries  on  a  work  of  evangelisation 
among  them,  but  it  must  be  owned  the  soil  is  singularly 
arid. 

At  Maritzburg,  it  was  my  old  and  intimate  friend  Mr.  Smith, 
the  pastor,  who  gave  us  hospitality.  We  thought  it  would  only 
be  for  a  few  days,  and  it  was  for  weeks.  No  waggons  anywhere — 
we  must  have  them  made  to  order  ;  no  oxen  to  be  had  either. 
At  last,  we  managed  to  procure  some  ;  but  at  what  a  figure ! 
We  had  to  take  them  ;  there  was  nothing  else  for  it.  One  day, 
I  was  in  the  garden,  watching  some  soldiers  go  by  :  I  never 
see  them  without  feeling  the  strongest  sympathy.  Out  of  the 
black  rabble  that  followed  them,  two  individuals  emerged,  and 
dashed  up  to  me,  gesticulating,  laughing,  and  shouting,  as  soon 
as  they  could  get  near  enough — and  indeed  a  good  deal  sooner  : 
''  Ltimela  Ntate,  lumela  Ntate  "  ("  I  greet  you,  father  ").  It  was 
Gideon  and  Fono.^  They  were  bringing  my  waggon  from 
Basuto-land  !  The  sight  of  it,  our  home  on  wheels,  filled  me 
with  sadness.  It  had  been  left  out  of  doors  for  two  years  and 
a  half  without  shelter,  exposed  to  sun  and  rain,  and  was  in  a 

'  Two   black   servants.      Fono,    it   will    be   remembered,   was   the   only 
survivor  out  of  the  four  Basuto  who  volunteered  for  the  first  expedition. 


iS82]  A   PAINFUL  JOURNEY  10$ 

pitiful  State  of  dilapidation.  It  was  no  use  to  think  of  selling 
it ;  no  one  would  have  given  me  anything  for  it.  The  repairs 
alone  cost  me  about  £2,6  ! 

But  the  oxen  are  bought,  the  waggons  are  ready.  Let  us 
load  up  and  set  out.  How  delightful  to  sit  cosily  in  a  corner 
of  one's  chariot,  and  look  at  the  long  team  winding  before  one  ; 
to  hear  the  "  Trek  "  of  the  leader,  and  the  crack  of  his  long 
whip  ;  to  make  one's  way  leisurely  on,  camping  like  gipsies  ;  in 
a  word,  living  the  real  African  life  again  !  Alas  !  the  charm 
is  very  shortlived.  A  cattle  plague,  which  has  made  terrible 
ravages  in  South  Africa,  prevails  also  about  here.  Even  before 
we  left  the  town,  two  of  the  oxen  sent  from  Basuto-land  had 
succumbed.  I  had  scarcely  sold  their  skins,  when  others 
dropped  on  the  road.  We  halted  on  a  rising  ground  about 
three  miles  from  the  town.  It  was  a  complete  disaster  :  care, 
rest,  remedies — nothing  was  of  any  use.  In  a  few  days,  I  lost 
twelve.  To-day,  at  the  moment  I  am  writing,  they  are  cutting 
up  the  seventeenth.  I  made  myself  perfectly  wretched  about 
it  ;  and  every  ox  that  died  drew  from  me  the  lament  of  the 
prophet's  son,  when  he  lost  his  axe-head  :  "  Alas !  for  it  was 
borrowed."  But  that  did  not  repair  our  losses.  The  journey 
had  no  lack  of  other  adventures  of  all  sorts  :  we  had  gales  that 
carried  everything  before  them  ;  dust-storms  overwhelming  the 
waggons  ;  rain,  snow,  and  rotten  roads.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
wearying  journeys  I  ever  made. 

I  hasten  on  to  our  arrival  at  Leribe — our  dear  Leribe.  Alas  ! 
it  is  no  longer  what  it  was  five  years  ago  !  We  knew  that  well 
enough ;  and  yet  I  confess  the  reality  surpasses  the  darkest 
pictures  our  imagination  had  conjured  up.  True,  some  few 
people  came  to  meet  us,  and  are  happy  to  have  us  back  ;  and 
Nathanael  Makotoko,  grown  somewhat  greyer,  but  with  all  his 
habitual  friendliness  and  courtesy,  was  there  too  with  a  troop  of 
young  men.  But  there  are  gaps  among  those  who  surround 
them,  both  Christians  and  pagans.  The  station,  deserted  and 
dilapidated,  might  be  a  tomb,  were  it  not  for  the  presence  of  a 
few  women,  and  above  all  of  our  friends  M.  Marzolff  and  Mile. 
Louise  Cochet,  who  did  all  they  could  to  give  us  a  welcome. 
The  village,  once  so  neat  and  gay  and  smiling,  is  now  nothing 
but  a  heap  of  silent  and  desolate  ruins.  I  cannot  speak  of  the 
mission  garden  ;  it   is   the  emblem  of  the   Lord's   vine,  though 


I06  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1883 

wasted  by  a  very  different  enemy.^  War,  and  the  worst  of  all, 
civil  war,  has  sown  the  seeds  of  implacable  hatred  and  revenge. 
The  life  of  the  camps,  those  camps  which  are  the  sink  of  the 
worst  and  most  shameless  corruptions  of  our  civilisation,  has 
given  such  an  impetus  to  the  current  of  demoralisation  that  few 
of  our  Christians,  I  fear,  have  been  able  to  resist  it.  Some  have 
openly  returned  to  wallow  in  the  mire  of  paganism  ;  others,  and 
perhaps  the  greater  number,  have  taken  to  brandy.  The  ranks 
of  the  young  men,  those  young  people  on  whom  we  had  founded 
so  many  hopes,  have  been  broken  up  by  the  violence  of  passions. 
The  Christians,  whose  profession  had  resisted  so  many  attacks, 
have  come  under  such  hurtful  influences  that  their  life  seems 
paralysed.  In  the  presence  of  so  many  disasters  and  such  ruin, 
the  heathen  mock  at  the  Gospel,  the  church  is  deserted,  "  and 
the  highways  of  Zion  mourn." 

Here,  the  district  is  torn  between  the  two  principal  sons 
of  Molapo.  Jonathan,  the  legitimate  heir  of  the  power,  whom 
our  Christians  have  followed,  has  obeyed  Letsie's  orders,  has 
remained  loyal  to  the  British  Government,  and  has  lost  every- 
thing, like  his  partisans.  Joel,  son  of  his  father's  second  wife,  by 
raising  the  standard  of  rebellion,  carried  with  him  the  greater 
part  of  the  tribe,  and  thus  acquired  an  imposing  position  in  the 
eyes  of  the  British  Government,  but  one  which  the  latter  cannot 
respect  without  trampling  on  all  its  promises  and  engagements, 
and  mercilessly  sacrificing  Jonathan  and  the  loyal  Basuto.  The 
situation  is  still  most  strained. 

It  is  springtime  here.  Let  this  lovely  season  spread  her 
mantle  of  flowers  and  verdure  over  all  our  ruins  and  desolations. 
Doubtless  the  contrast  is  painful  to  the  heart  ;  but  it  also 
inspires  us  with  confidence  and  hope  for  the  future.  The  winter 
will  not  last  for  ever.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  the  smoking  and 
deserted  ruins  of  Jerusalem  that  Jeremiah  exclaimed  :  "  It  is 
of  the  Lord's  mercies  we  are  not  consumed,  because  His  com- 
passions fail  not ;  they  are  new  every  morning  :  great  is  Thy 
faithfulness." 

LERiBif,  July  lot/i,   1SS3. 

In  a  few  days,  we  shall  have  been  back  here  a  whole  year. 
And   we   were   only   to   stay  six  months  I     But   the   Zambesi 

'  Ps.  Ixxx. :  "  Thou  hast  brought  a  vine  out  of  Egypt :  Thou  hast  cast  out 
the  heathen,  and  planted  it.  .  .  .  The  boar  out  of  the  wood  doth  waste  it,"  ct  scq. 


1883]  LERIBE   IN    RUINS  IO7 

Mission  will  lose  nothing  by  this  forced  delay.  It  has  pleased 
God  to  put  our  faith  in  the  crucible  of  sorrow  and  disappoint- 
ment. Now  I  understand  it :  after  the  noise  and  publicity  of 
Europe,  we  needed  these  humiliating  reverses,  we  needed  this 
time  of  silence  and  solitude,  to  draw  us  near  the  Saviour,  in 
deeper  communion  with  Himself. 

The  conference  at  Hermon  in  March  did  me  good.  It  was 
wholesome,  after  such  a  long  separation,  and  such  a  crisis  as 
we  have  passed  through,  to  see  our  colleagues  again,  whom  we 
love  and  respect,  and  to  talk  with  them.  We  were  counting  on 
the  festival  for  the  jubilee  of  the  mission  ^  :  we  had  quite  set 
our  hearts  upon  it.  We  would  have  liked  to  pass  a  few  days 
en  fainillc  with  our  missionary  colony  once  more,  before  our 
departure  for  the  interior.  More  especially  did  the  occasion 
seem  to  me  a  unique  one  for  pleading  the  cause  of  the  Zambesi 
Mission  before  the  assembled  Churches,  and  proposing  it  to 
their  hearts  and  consciences  as  a  monument  worthy  of  their 
raising  to  the  glory  of  our  God.  And  it  was  all  the  more 
necessary  because  during  these  last  years  there  has  been  a 
cooling  down  of  missionary  zeal,  a  step  backwards,  due  in  great 
part  to  political  preoccupations.  We  were  making  plans.  But 
we  were  on  a  volcano :  it  erupted  ;  the  civil  war  broke  out ; 
our  unhappy  district  was  once  more  given  up  to  pillage  and 
destruction.  And  farewell  to  our  happy  prospects — farewell 
to  our  harvest  of  blessings — farewell  our  jubilee  !  You  know 
the  rest :  the  last  hamlets  of  the  district  destroyed  ;  Molapo's 
town  and  its  beautiful  European  houses,  built  and  furnished 
at  great  expense,  reduced  to  ashes ;  old  men  massacred, 
children  mutilated,  women  ignominiously  stripped  and  mal- 
treated before  our  eyes,  on  the  very  station  where  they 
had  sought  refuge,  in  "  the  shadow  of  the  house  of  God." 
x'Marms,  panics,  isolation,  suspense,  and  perplexity  augured 
ill  for  the  jubilee.  It  was  impossible  for  mc  to  absent 
myself,  and  our  longed-for  festival  seemed  nothing  but  a 
mirage.     We  could  not  attend  it. 

We  were  fortunate  in  having  with  us  my  future  colleague, 
M.  Jeanmairet,  a  nice,  earnest  young  fellow,  and  also  a  friend, 
a  young  lawyer  from  Geneva,  M.  Gauticr.     We  were  expecting 

»  1833-1883. 


I08  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1883 

the  visit  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boegner  ^  and  their  cousin,  Mr.  Gustave 
Steinheil.  God  did  not  allow  us  to  be  disappointed,  and  we 
thank  Him  that  no  alarm  took  place  during  our  friends'  stay 
here.  We  took  advantage  of  it  to  study  certain  questions  once 
more  which  affect  the  Zambesi  Mission,  The  moment,  indeed, 
has  come  when  our  plans  must  take  a  definite  shape,  and  we 
must  at  last  set  to  work.  Jeanmairet  and  I  are  going  to  ride 
round  to  visit  the  Churches  by  invitation  of  the  Conference, 
and  take  leave  of  them.  Our  programme  is  full.  Our  journey, 
which  will  take  six  weeks,  is  to  begin  the  day  after  to-morrow. 
I  confess  I  dread  it  a  little,  particularly  now  in  the  middle  of 
winter ;  and  it  costs  me  much  to  go  so  far  away  from  the 
station  and  leave  my  wife  alone  with  my  niece.  There  is  a 
truce  just  now  ;  we  cling  to  the  hope  that  it  is  the  presage  of 
happier  times,  and  not  the  calm  that  precedes  the  storm. 

Leribe,  Augjist  iWif  1883. 

Our  journey  occupied  six  weeks.  On  the  very  eve  of  our 
departure,  people  came  at  nightfall  to  tell  me  skirmishes  were 
taking  place  at  three  or  four  places.  Blood  had  already  flowed  ; 
there  was  going  to  be  more  fighting — so  much  was  certain.  How 
could  I  leave  my  wife  and  niece  in  such  circumstances?  After 
reflection,  I  resolved  to  abide  by  my  decision,  whatever  might 
happen  ;  only  I  took  precautions,  and  the  magistrate  promised 
to  let  me  know  if  the  civil  war  should  break  out  seriously  again. 
Well !  the  armistice  lasted  the  whole  time  we  were  away,  and 
they  scarcely  experienced  one  of  those  alarms  which  had  been 
so  frequent  before.  And  then,  such  splendid  weather  !  You 
know  our  little  missionary  colony  well  enough  to  know  up  to 
what  point  the  duties  of  hospitality  are  understood  here.  I 
fear  we  imposed  that  privilege  rather  too  onerously  upon  our 
brethren :  I  had  a  very  bad  conscience  on  the  subject,  for 
certainly  I  should  not  have  liked  any  one  to  take  it  out  of  my 
horses  the  way  we  did  with  theirs  !  But  we  could  not  help  it ; 
and  I  only  hope  that  when  it  comes  to  their  turn,  they  will 
meet  with  friends  as  generous  and  obliging  as  they  were  to  us. 

We  had  few  adventures.     The  good  hand  of  the  Lord  was 

'  The  Director  of  the  Maison  des  Missions  in  Paris  and  his  wife,  daughter 
of  the  late  M.  de  Pressense,  who  were  making  a  tour  in  Basuto-land  at 
this  time. 


i8S3]  A   TOUR    IN    BASUTO-LAND  IO9 

upon  us,  and  we  were  able  to  carry  out  every  item  of  our 
programme  as  arranged  beforehand.  We  had  experiences  of 
various  kinds,  both  encouragements  and  discouragements.  But, 
on  the  whole,  it  was  the  encouragements  that  predominated. 
It  was  then  that  we  could  appreciate  the  full  extent  of  evil  that 
the  war  had  worked  among  our  Churches.  What  a  difference 
between  the  dead  calm  now,  and  the  thrill  of  enthusiasm  that 
was  electrifying  them  in  1876  and  1877!  How  easy  and 
delightful  everything  was  then  ! — so  it  seems  to  me  now,  looking 
back  on  it.  I  could  have  gone  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  borne 
onwards  by  such  fire.  To-day,  when  sometimes  the  voice  finds 
no  echo,  how  one  feels  the  need  of  God's  mighty  hand  to 
gird  one  with  strength  for  going  forward !  We  found  on  our 
path  here  just  the  same  objections  over  again  that  I  was 
combating  in  France,  against  outside  missions.  "  How  can  we 
make  collections?  How  can  people  go  to  the  Zambesi,  when 
there  is  still  so  much  to  do  in  Basuto-land  ?  " 

Still,  we  had  some  good  meetings ;  and  though  we  cannot 
as  yet  say  what  the  results  will  be,  we  brought  back  more  than 
good  words,  which  cost  nothing — tangible  tokens  of  interest. 
You  can  guess  how  impatient  our  Zambesians  are,  Seajika  and 
Karumba  (who  had  been  left  at  the  Morija  School  all  this 
time  since  the  first  expedition).  Poor  boys  !  after  the  service  at 
Morija,  they  came  to  my  room  and  beset  me  with  questions. 
They  would  have  liked  to  know  the  day  of  our  departure,  to 
leave  the  school  instantly  to  come  and  get  ready,  as  if  they 
had  any  great  preparations  to  make  !  Karumba  pretends  to  be 
tired  of  his  studies,  and  he  seems  to  fancy  if  he  can  have  a 
rest,  the  moment  for  departure  will  come  all  the  quicker. 

Good  news  awaited  me  on  my  return.  My  wife  handed  me 
an  envelope :  "  In  reply  to  our  prayers."  It  contained  nearly 
;^ioo,  of  which  £^0  were  from  our  friend  Mr.  Arthington.  So 
the  waggon  is  provided  for  :  now  we  are  only  waiting  for  the 
team.  Oh,  if  we  only  had  more  faith !  And  yet  it  does  not 
need  much,  does  it,  to  remove  even  mountains  ? 

Lerib^,  October  2\th,  1883. 
Our  farewell  meeting  with  the  representatives  of  the  Basuto 
Churches  is  fixed  for  November  25th,  and  our  final  departure 
for    December     5th.       We    are    already    in    the    midst   of    our 


no  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1883 

preparations,  just  as  though  we  were  going  to  take  the  train  for 
the  Zambesi.  It  is  not  the  express,  and  still  less  is  it  the 
Flying  Dutchman,  that  will  carry  us  into  those  far-away  regions, 
but  our  bovine  servants,  who  are  the  symbol  oi  patience.  It  is  a 
time  of  fatigue  and  anxiety,  for  one  has  to  decide  what  must  be 
done  with  the  things  we  leave  behind,  as  well  as  what  we  take 
with  us,  and  to  foresee  the  future  wants  not  only  of  ourselves, 
but  of  every  member  of  the  caravan.  Every  day  we  look  to 
God  for  the  wisdom  we  so  greatly  need.  The  members  of  our 
flock  are  no  less  sad  than  ourselves  at  the  approaching  parting, 
but  the  arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weitzecker  will  console  them. 
We  now  have  the  four  waggons  we  require,  and  are  only 
waiting  for  our  last  team. 

The  moment,  then,  has  come  to  put  our  hands  bravely  to 
the  work.  But  it  has  also  come  to  make  a  serious  appeal 
to  all  our  friends,  and  all  the  Churches  whose  messengers  we 
are.  When  we  were  in  France,  the  Zambesi  Mission  was  popular. 
You  were  heart  and  soul  with  us,  urging  us  on.  We  believed 
this,  and  counted  on  you.  Now  the  moment  for  action  has 
come  :  before  charging  the  enemy,  we  cast  a  backward  glance  ; 
we  are  looking  for  the  main  army  corps,  those  who  follow  and 
support  us.  One  would  think  it  had  receded  from  us  ;  and  we 
tremble  at  the  thought. 

Beloved  brethren,  wherever  you  may  be,  in  France,  England, 
Scotland,  Italy,  Switzerland,  Belgium,  or  Holland,  rich  and 
poor,  we  appeal  to  your  affection  for  the  cause  of  missions,  to 
your  love  for  the  Saviour,  and  we  adjure  you  to  uphold  us, 
pray  for  us,  work,  and  give  cheerfully.  God  will  do  the  rest. 
Adieu ! 

Leribe,  December  \^th,  1883. 
Our  friends  the  Weitzeckers  have  at  last  arrived.  And 
then,  at  the  very  moment  we  were  thinking  of  inspanning 
a  new  and  totally  unexpected  difficulty  arose.  The  small-pox 
broke  out  in  some  parts  of  Basuto-land,  a'  long,  long  way  from 
where  we  are.  But,  unluckily,  it  is  in  Basuto-land  all  the  same  ; 
and  so  great  is  the  panic,  that  the  whole  of  this  unhappy 
country  has  been  placed  in  quarantine.  Three  days  earlier,  no 
one  would  have  opposed  our  passage ;  but  the  Weitzeckers  had 
not  arrived  then,     I  took  certain  steps  with  the  authorities  of 


MR.   AND   MRS.   WEITZECKER  III 

the  Orange  Free  State,  and  I  am  awaiting  their  reply.  Our 
whole  caravan  is  ready,  waggons  loaded  and  all ;  and  yet  we 
have  to  ask  ourselves  if  we  can  possibly  get  off  by  January  ist ! 

Last  Sunday,  we  had  such  a  congregation  that  they  could 
not  all  find  room  in  the  church  ;  and  I  presented  my  successor 
to  the  tribe.  They  gave  him  such  a  cordial  welcome  as  leads 
me  to  hope  he  may  be  spared  many  of  the  difficulties  we 
apprehended  for  him.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weitzecker  will  soon  win 
the  love  and  confidence  of  our  people.  Next  Sunday,  we  shall 
have  their  installation,  several  baptisms,  and  our  farewells.  From 
the  political  point  of  view,  we  hope  for  much,  since  we  know 
that  England  is  going  to  take  the  country  under  her  protection 
again.     Evidently  God  has  views  of  mercy  for  this  nation. 

You  know  how  many  difficulties  have  arisen  to  hinder  us, 
one  after  the  other :  sometimes  the  darkness  has  seemed  so 
thick  that  we  could  only  have  groped  our  way,  if  we  had  not 
heard  the  Master's  voice  going  before  us.  That  voice  has 
never  failed  us,  and  we  have  discerned  it  amid  all  the  noise, 
more  or  less  sympathetic,  more  or  less  hostile,  which  has  echoed 
around  our  projects.  As  for  the  work  we  are  undertaking, 
I  have  it  too  much  at  heart  to  compromise  it  by  lack  of 
precaution.  Apart  from  that,  the  question  of  success  lies  with 
God.  If  I  should  die  before  I  even  have  the  joy  of  seeing 
the  Gospel  banner  finally  planted  in  these  distant  regions,  and 
without  the  comfort  of  seeing  the  Churches  of  my  Fatherland 
march  resolutely  to  the  conquest  of  Tropical  Africa,  what  are 
man's  judgments  to  me  ?  I  shall  die  with  the  conviction  of 
having  done  no  more  than  my  duty.  Do  not  think  what 
I  am  saying  is  mere  bravado.  There  is  not  a  shade  of  that 
in  my  mind.  I  am  neither  an  enthusiast  nor  a  lover  of  adven- 
tures. The  very  prospect  of  such  things  would  be  enough 
to  discourage  people  of  our  age  and  tastes,  I  am  a  soldier  ;  my 
marching  orders  are  signed  ;  I  obey  and  start :  if  I  fall,  others 
will  take  my  place.  In  any  case,  with  Christ,  the  victory  is 
certain. 

Bethlehem,  January  6th,  1884. 

Starting  for  the  Zambesi  !  Yes,  at  last  we  are  off.  It  is 
no  longer  a  prospect,  but  a  reality,  since  our  departure  on 
January    2nd.     Our   preparations,   our   last   farewells,  with   all 


112  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S4 

their  fatigues  and  emotions,  are  behind  us.  At  fifty  years  of 
age,  we  have  once  more  taken  up  the  pilgrim's  staff,  and  our 
faces  are  turned  towards  the  regions  beyond  the  Zambesi. 
Already  Leribe,  our  Bethel  and  our  Ebcnezer,  the  work  of  our 
youth  and  our  maturity,  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  Already  the 
blue  mountains  of  our  second  fatherland  have  vanished  from 
our  eyes.  And  when  our  dear  Mikea,  Zakea,  and  Mareka,  who 
are  accompanying  us  to  Bethlehem,  have  taken  leave  of  us, 
the  last  cable  will  be  snapped,  and  we  shall  be  launched  upon 
the  open  sea.  But  Jesus  is  and  will  be  there.  Nothing  will 
remain  but  the  pain — the  wrench  we  do  not  speak  about,  but 
which  every  one  understands.  Once  more,  He  will  count  our 
wanderings  and  guide  us  with  His  eye. 

Our  departure  was  the  end  of  a  long  agony  of  several 
months.  Up  till  the  last  moment,  our  faith  was  on  the  rack, 
and  Satan  was  doing  everything  he  could  to  hinder  us.  Scarcely 
did  we  see  one  difficulty  smoothed  away  than  he  raised  up 
others  still  more  formidable  and  embarrassing.  We  had  the 
satisfaction  of  installing  our  friends  the  Weitzeckers,  and  of 
passing  a  few  days  with  them — busy  days,  of  course,  but  happy 
and  blessed  too.  Their  arrival  swept  away  many  fears  and 
prejudices.  Our  flock  had  been  afraid  of  falling  into  the  hands 
of  an  inexperienced  young  man  ;  and,  far  from  concealing  their 
discontent,  they  murmured  loudly.  From  the  moment  they 
had  heard  Mr.  Weitzecker,  and  found  him  a  full-grown  man, 
the  opposition  died  away.  We  are  starting  without  the  slightest 
misgivings.  We  have  the  warmest  affection  for  our  friends, 
and  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  experience  they  have  already 
acquired.  We  joyfully  bequeath  them  the  fruit  of  our  labours  : 
no  one  could  more  worthily  enter  into  them.  The  material 
labours  necessary  to  a  mission  station  are  all  finished.  They 
will  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  maintain  them.  We  are  con- 
fiding to  their  care  a  cherished  flock,  which,  in  spite  of  all  the 
disasters  of  the  war,  has  never  ceased  to  be  affectionate  and 
interesting. 

I  envy  my  young  colleague  Jeanmairet  going  to  the  Zambesi 
without  having  lived  long  years  in  Leribe.  JVe  have  cleared 
the  ground  ;  we  have  sown,  God  only  knows  with  what  tears  ! 
Our  friends  are  going  to  continue  our  work  and  reap.  Oh, 
may  the  sheaves  that  they  bring  to  the  Saviour's  feet  be  rich 


iS84]  AN   APPEAL  II3 

and  abundant !  And  after  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day 
those  who  sowed  and  those  who  have  reaped  shall  rejoice 
together.  No  one  but  the  Master  knows  what  it  is  to  leave 
Basuto-land,  the  mission  and  the  missionary  family,  all  so  united — 
those  beloved  brethren  from  whose  views  and  feelings  we  may 
sometimes  differ  without  ceasing  to  love  and  admire  each  other. 
As  a  member  of  such  a  body,  one  feels  strong.  My  departure 
will  leave  no  empty  place  here  ;  but  when  I  think  of  the  isolation 
that  awaits  us  whither  we  are  going,  a  shuddering  depression 
sometimes  comes  over  me.  God  bless  Leribe  !  We  will  speak 
no  more  of  it.  Forbid  that  we  should  seek  to  magnify  the 
little  we  have  had  the  privilege  of  doing  for  Jesus  !  Yet  should 
we  offer  Him  what  cost  us  nothing?  There  must  be  no  weak- 
ness now  the  moment  has  come  for  action.  The  Lord  Who 
sends  us  has  girded  us  with  strength  and  crowned  us  with  peace 
and  joy  ;  and  He  has  promised,  "  Thy  shoes  shall  be  iron  and 
brass,  and  as  thy  days  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  May  He 
pardon  me  if  this  be  the  language  of  presumption  !  We  leave 
it  to  others  to  discuss  and  find  fault  with  our  enterprise.  We 
ourselves  have  nothing  to  do  but  obey :  it  is  our  simple  duty — 
nothing  more.  And  I  trust  my  Master  will  render  me  always 
invulnerable,  whether  to  adulation  or  to  the  most  hostile  criticism. 
We  certainly  need  to  fortify  ourselves  in  God  as  we  face  that 
vast  unknown  called  the  Barotsi  Mission.  An  icy  blast  which 
has  blown  since  we  left  France  has,  alas !  destroyed  in  many 
hearts  the  confidence  and  interest  once  bestowed  on  us.  And 
I  fear  it  has  dried  up  more  than  one  source  on  which  not  only 
our  work  but  that  of  the  whole  mission  was  depending.  It  is 
hard  for  soldiers  who  are  storming  the  breach,  and  cannot 
possibly  draw  back,  to  hear  those  who  had  urged  them  on 
shouting,  "  Forward !  but  it  is  highly  improbable  we  shall  be 
able  to  follow  you."  You  Christians  who  daily  pray,  "  Thy 
kingdom  come,"  will  you  forsake  us  ?  Is  it  with  this  prospect 
saddening  and  overwhelming  our  hearts  that  we  must  go  forth 
to  struggle  with  all  the  difficulties  bristling  before  us,  and 
contend  with  all  the  most  formidable  powers  of  paganism,  with 
sickness  and  with  death  ?  No,  you  cannot,  you  will  not  ;  and 
before  we  reach  the  Zambesi,  you  will  once  more  give  us  proofs 
of  your  co-operation,  and  those  words  which  spring  from  the 
heart  to  the  heart,  awake  its  courage,  and  sustain  its  faith. 

8 


CHAPTER    IX 

Across  the  Transvaal  to  Shoshong — A  Trying  Journey — Difficulties  at  Pretoria 
— Duties  remitted — General  Joubert  in  a  New  AV/e — Prospects  of  Scarcity 
— The  Staff  of  the  Expedition — Bad  Roads — Saul's  Poort — Delay  and 
Losses  at  the  Marico — Aaron's  Arrival—  Shoshong — Seleka — A  Baptism 
there — Return  to  Shoshong — Generosity  of  Khama  and  his  People — 
Messages  from  Barotsi-land — The  Post — Starting  again. 

Pretoria,  February  5//^   1884. 

PRETORIA  !  This  is  a  stage  to  be  noted.  When  you  have 
already  been  living  gipsy  fashion  for  a  fortnight,  when  you 
find  yourself  here  and  the  Vaal  at  your  back,  you  begin  to 
realise  that  the  journey  has  begun  in  earnest,  and  that  you  have 
really  gone  part  of  the  way — and  a  bad  part  too.  Indeed,  the 
Caledon  kept  us  two  days,  with  its  banks  and  shoals,  in  spite 
of  the  vigorous  help  of  our  people  from  Leribe ;  then  ravines, 
sloughs,  marshes,  where  our  teams,  though  doubled  and  even 
tripled,  could  not  always  drag  our  over-loaded  waggons.  I  do 
not  know  how  many  times  we  had  to  unload  our  baggage  to 
get  out  of  a  bad  place,  and  carry  it  on.  Distance  might  lend 
some  enchantment,  some  halo  of  romance,  to  these  adventures  ; 
but  we  are  quite  biases,  and  we  have  no  longer  the  same 
elasticity  as  some  years  ago. 

Our  departure  from  Bethlehem  was  an  agitating  moment. 
Some  friends  had  agreed  to  meet  at  our  camp ;  and  tears  flowed 
while  we  stood  and  sang  our  farewell  hymn  in  Sesuto,  and, 
kneeling  together,  heard  the  Wesleyan  pastor  commend  us  to 
the  grace  of  God  in  an  earnest  prayer.  The  Dutch  pastor, 
Mr.  Theron,  had  recommended  us  by  letter  to  the  Boers  of  his 
district,  and  assuredly  not  in  vain.  At  Heidelberg,  where  we 
did  not  know  a  soul,  we  were  surrounded  on  all  sides  with 
interest  and  attentions.  It  was  the  Dutch  pastor  himself 
(whose  views  are  the  antipodes  of  mine)  that  sent  us  a  fine 

114 


i884]  GENERAL   JOUBERT   IN   A   NEW   ROLE  II5 

fat  sheep :  traders,  the  butcher  and  the  baker,  poor  people, 
touched  at  hearing  the  object  of  our  expedition,  sent  us  milk 
and  fruits  of  every  kind.  It  makes  one  feel  very  small  and 
unworthy  to  be  the  object  of  so  many  kindnesses.  But  we 
believe  it  is  the  Lord  making  His  face  to  shine  upon  us. 

If  we  had  trouble  in  getting  into  Pretoria,  we  certainly  had 
no  less  in  getting  out.  I  had  asked  the  Government  to  exempt 
us  from  the  heavy  duties  levied  on  all  kinds  of  merchandise. 
After  much  trouble,  and  a  correspondence  which  threatened  to 
compromise  all  our  interests,  I  obtained  an  audience  of  the 
Executive  Council.  Some  hours  after,  an  official  despatch 
announced  to  me  that,  in  view  of  the  essentially  evangelical 
character  of  our  mission,  and  in  order  to  facilitate  it  as  much 
as  possible,  we  were  exempted  from  all  duties.  We  owe  this 
favour,  in  great  part  at  least  to,  our  indefatigable  friend  Mr. 
Bosman.  He  even  contrived  to  organise  a  missionary  meeting. 
The  hall  was  full,  and  it  was  General  Joubert,  the  Vice-president 
of  the  Republic,  who  took  the  chair.  He  presented  us  to  the 
public  of  Pretoria  in  a  speech  full  of  fire,  in  which  he  took  care 
to  emphasise  his  views  on  evangelical  missionaries,  and  on  those 
who,  while  preaching  the  Gospel,  also  mingled  in  politics,  and 
made  trouble  between  the  blacks  and  whites.  We  ourselves 
were  classed  among  the  former,  and  the  wishes  his  Honour 
expressed  for  the  success  of  our  enterprise,  equally  with  the 
news  of  the  favour  the  Government  had  that  day  accorded  to 
us,  were  received  with  loud  applause.  On  our  arrival,  we 
had  once  more  pitched  our  tents  beside  the  prison,  that  same 
prison  where  our  first  expedition  was  incarcerated  nearly  eight 
years  ago.  Who  could  ever  have  prophesied  the  welcome  they 
gave  us  to-day  ?     God  be  praised  ! 

One  difficulty  overcome,  another  confronts  us.  The  drought 
is  such  that  we  do  not  know  how  wc  are  going  to  travel  to 
Mangwato.  And  then  they  tell  us  there  is  a  frightful  famine 
there.  At  such  a  time  I  remember  having  bought  a  sack  of 
flour  for  ^5  I  ox.,  and  maize  and  potatoes  at  £l  the  sack. 
What  a  prospect  for  our  expedition  !  At  the  last  moment  we 
had  to  do  violence  to  our  feelings  and  renounce  the  plan  of 
passing  through  our  brother  Gonin's  station.  It  is  such  a  dry 
country  that  we  should  risk  serious  losses  of  cattle  for  want 
of  water   and   pasturage   during   days   together.     I    have   past 


Il6  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

experience  to  go  by  ;  so  I  hastened  to  make  sure  of  some  sacks 
of  flour  the  traders  here  were  haggling  over,  and  to  procure 
three  huge  tuns  for  our  water  supply.  These  tuns  have  lock 
taps,  and  I  shall  keep  the  keys  in  my  own  pocket,  so  that  we 
shall  be  sober  and  moderate  ! 

Our  present  expedition  differs  materially  from  the  first. 
Seven  years  ago,  not  only  were  we  carried  along  on  a  wave  of 
enthusiasm  which  made  everything  easy,  but  all  those  who 
accompanied  us,  with  few  exceptions,  formed  part  of  the  mission 
and  shared  my  responsibility  to  some  extent.  To-day,  the 
enthusiasm  has  died  down,  in  France  as  in  Basuto-land  :  our 
staff  is  almost  entirely  composed  of  men,  devoted  enough  no 
doubt,  but  whose  services  we  have  to  pay  for  at  a  very  high  rate, 
and  who  have  no  responsibility.  Isaiah,  an  excellent  young  man 
from  Bethesda,  and  Levi,  a  worthy  evangelist  from  Morija,  are 
the  only  ones  who  have  given  themselves  to  the  mission.  But 
this  latter  is  scarcely  more  than  a  passenger  with  his  family, 
since  he  is  incapable  of  wielding  a  whip.  But  I  hasten  to  say 
it  would  have  been  difficult  for  us  to  choose  a  better  staff. 
All  our  men,  except  one  or  two,  profess  to  know  and  serve 
God.  We  have  characters  of  every  shade.  One  is  earnest, 
almost  melancholy,  and  taciturn  ;  another  talkative,  sparkling 
with  fun  and  high  spirits.  This  man  is  gentle  and  submissive  ; 
that  one  energetic  and  full  of  resources.  During  these  six 
weeks  of  travelling,  we  have  studied  each  other  well,  and  the 
conclusion  I  have  arrived  at  for  my  part  is  that  each  one  has 
not  only,  as  they  say,  the  faults  of  his  good  qualities,  but  the  good 
qualities  of  his  faults.  It  is  not  hard  to  recognise  this,  if  one 
but  sets  one's  mind  to  it.  We  had,  however,  to  get  all  these 
diverse  elements  into  working  order — by  no  means  an  easy 
thing  at  first.  To  speak  only  of  a  very  prosaic  matter  which 
plays  so  large  a  part  in  our  lives — namely,  food ;  one  person 
cannot  eat  cold  millet  cakes  ;  another  pretends  that  maize 
upsets  his  stomach  ;  a  third  even  asserts  that  wheaten  flour 
makes  him  quite  ill  ;  pork  does  not  suit  one,  nor  curdled  milk 
another.  What  is  to  be  done  ?  One  cannot  do  violence  to 
these  good  people,  nor  yet  give  in  to  all  their  whims  and  fancies. 
But  now  they  have  all  got  into  step— myself  included,  I  suppose  ; 
and  if  it  were  not  for  those  expenses  that  haunt  me  like  a 
horrible  nightmare,  the  task  would  be  fairly  easy. 


1884]  TRANSVAAL   ROADS  117 

We  had  the  joy  of  meeting  our  friends  the  Crcux  here,  on 
their  way  to  Switzerland.  We  took  the  Communion  together 
last  night.  To-day,  we  must  bid  each  other  farewell — a  long 
farewell.  We  should  like  to  charge  them  with  all  sorts  of 
affectionate  messages  for  a  multitude  of  our  friends  in  France 
and  Switzerland, 

Pretoria,  February  wth. 
I  cannot  write  much  to-day,  as  we  are  just  off  for  Mangwato  ! 
Do  not  forget  us.  And  above  all,  say  to  the  "  wise  "  :  "  Wait  for 
the  end  ! "  I  do  not  pretend  to  possess  a  monopoly  of  light  and 
wisdom,  but  say  that  "  God  hath  spoken  once  ;  yea,  twice  have 
I  heard  His  voice  "  (Ps.  Ixii.  1 1,  Fr.  Ver.). 

Mangwato  (Shoshong),  May  \%th,  1884. 
What  I  dreaded  is  just  what  has  happened.  The  intermin- 
able delays  before  our  departure  have  brought  us  to  the  worst 
of  the  bad  season.  Our  very  start  from  the  capital  seemed 
ill-omened.  We  had  scarcely  left  the  last  of  its  streets  before  a 
pelting  rain  suddenly  came  on — it  was  a  perfect  waterspout, 
inundating  the  country,  and  transforming  the  stream,  which  flowed 
in  front  of  us,  into  a  raging  torrent.  It  was  only  with  the 
greatest  difficulty  we  could  cross  it,  grumbling  all  the  time  at 
the  municipality  of  this  city,  if  there  be  one,  whilst  sinking 
knee-deep  in  the  mud,  doubling  the  teams  and  shouting  to 
the  creatures  till  we  were  hoarse.  Our  friends,  the  Creux, 
Constangons,  and  others — quite  a  little  cavalcade — were  with 
us  in  their  summer  clothes.  The  rain  did  not  look  like  leaving 
off,  so  we  hastily  took  leave  of  each  other — they  to  get  back 
to  their  homes  and  change  to  dry  things,  we  to  continue  our 
journey.  No  supper,  no  fire  for  us  ;  no  one  even  thought  of  it. 
Our  poor  boys  passed  the  night  under  the  waggons,  with  their 
trousers  tucked  up,  trying  to  sleep,  like  herons,  on  their  legs. 
When  we  rose  the  next  morning,  the  whole  country  was  nothing 
but  one  immense  sheet  of  water.  And  thus  the  expedition 
from  Pretoria  to  Mangwato  was  inaugurated  !  Oh,  how  we 
should  appreciate  the  benefits  of  a  railway  now  !  When  will  it 
extend  so  far  ?  Patience  !  it  is  coming  on.  Major  Machado,  a 
Portuguese  officer  whose  acquaintance  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
rnaking,  has  been  working  for  months  at  a  report  for  a  proposed 


Il8  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S4 

line  to  put  the  Transvaal  into  direct  communication  with  the 
sea  through  Inhambane.  That  is  not  the  Zambesi  yet,  but  it 
is  a  step  towards  it.  Whilst  waiting  for  the  accomplishment 
of  this  beautiful  dream,  we  poor  tramps  slowly  work  our  way 
along,  with  heavy  hearts,  between  the  showers.  Oh  the  roads  ! 
the  marshes !  the  mud-holes !  the  bogs  !  And  to  face  all  that 
with  heavily  charged  waggons !  Even  if  I  had  the  leisure,  I 
should  only  weary  you  very  needlessly  were  I  to  relate  all  our 
adventures.  Every  time  the  oxen  stuck  in  a  bad  place,  we  said, 
"  Now  we  are  in  for  it ! "  We  looked  at  the  sun,  doubled, 
tripled  the  team,  and  finally  put  our  shoulders  to  the  wheels. 
If  it  would  not  budge,  and  the  oxen  turned  refractory,  the 
men  simply  unloaded  the  waggon,  carried  the  contents  on  their 
backs  to  terra  fir  ma,  and  there  reloaded  again.  At  such  times, 
fatigue  was  forbidden  !  The  shortest  road — though  not  quite 
the  best — crossed  the  River  Apies,  skirted  the  Mathlabase,  and 
crossed  the  Limpopo  ;  this  we  had  decided  to  follow,  but  during 
the  night  we  went  astray,  and  found,  too  late  to  turn  back — 
which,  by  the  way,  we  never  do — that  after  all  we  had  taken  the 
road  passing  through  Saul's  Poort,  M.  Gonin's  station.  We 
saw  the  hand  of  Providence  in  this,  and  had  no  reason  to 
regret  our  mistake.  Our  friends,  the  Gonins,  received  us  with 
open  arms  for  the  few  days  we  could  spend  with  them.  Their 
kindness  touched  us  deeply  ;  their  devotedness  and  self- 
renunciation  did  us  good  to  witness. 

Outside  Saul's  Poort,  the  road — save  the  mark  ! — had  become 
impassable  :  advance  was  out  of  the  question.  Scarcely  were 
we  out  of  one  slough,  before  we  fell  into  another.  One  day, 
thanks  to  our  good  Jonathan's  vigorous  arm  and  chest,  my 
waggon  had  safely  covered  a  mile  or  more  of  a  fearful  morass ; 
but  Levi's,  which  followed  ours,  sank  up  to  the  understel.  Four 
teams,  of  sixteen  oxen  each,  failed  to  stir  it,  the  poor  beasts 
sinking  up  to  their  bellies,  and  being  thus  incapable  of  pulling. 
We  worked  in  vain  till  night  fell,  and  finally  had  to  abandon 
the  attempt.  The  next  morning,  after  a  few  hours'  heavy  sleep, 
the  first  thing  we  did  was  to  go  together  to  the  Throne  of  Grace  ; 
and  we  did  so  with  confidence.  "  Send  Thine  angels  to  our 
help,"  prayed  one  of  our  party.  We  were  just  arranging  our 
plans  with  renewed  vigour,  and  full  of  courage,  when  some  men 
arrived  on  foot  and  on  horseback,  some  with  oxen,  others  with 


1884]  THE   MARICO   RIVER  Up 

waggons.  They  were  the  Christians  of  Saul's  Poort,  who, 
hearing  of  our  distress,  were  hastening  to  our  help.  They 
were  the  angels  of  God  for  whom  we  asked.  When  have  we 
ever  cried  in  vain  to  this  Father  of  ours,  so  full  of  tenderness? 
The  waggons  were  soon  unloaded,  and  the  bad  place  passed. 
These  kind  friends  of  their  own  accord  travelled  with  us  for 
a  fortnight,  cutting  out  a  new  track,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
marshes  of  the  Limpopo  as  far  as  possible.  They  took  us 
right  to  the  junction  of  the  Marico  (Malikoe)  with  the  Limpopo, 
and  would  have  come  even  farther.  Unfortunately,  both  rivers 
were  overflowing,  and  the  ford  at  the  Marico  was  more  than 
forty  feet  deep  !  When  should  we  be  able  to  cross  it  ?  Fearing 
to  become  an  additional  burden  to  us  in  this  uncertainty,  our 
friends  found  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  establish  us 
there,  and  return  to  their  homes. 

When  they  had  bade  their  last  good-byes,  their  waggons  had 
disappeared  into  the  woods,  and  the  rumbling  of  their  wheels 
no  longer  reached  our  ears,  a  kind  of  horror  came  over  me. 
I  saw  the  enormous  impassable  river  before  us ;  the  clouds 
gathering  over  our  heads,  threatening  more  than  once  to  over- 
whelm us  ;  the  marsh  whose  pestilential  neighbourhood  I  dreaded, 
3'et  could  not  escape.  And  famine  stalked  there ;  that  hideous 
spectre  showed  its  teeth  at  us.  To  crown  our  misfortunes,  the 
Bushmen  stole  our  two  goats.  Good-bye  to  the  drop  of  milk 
we  enjoyed  so  much  !  Our  horses,  too,  died  one  after  the  other, 
and  so  suddenly  that  we  could  do  nothing  to  save  them.^  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  The  most  experienced  had  long  been  at  their 
wits'  end.  The  loss  of  our  two  saddle  horses  was  bad  enough, 
undoubtedly  ;  but  to  see  our  draught  oxen  die  off  like  flies  vvas 
a  much  more  serious  matter.  It  was  the  change  of  pasture 
which  proved  so  fatal  to  them.  The  flocks  of  vultures,  which 
never  left  us  day  or  night,  fought  over  their  carcases,  and  bands 
of  Masaroa  disputed  the  fragments  of  putrifying  flesh  with  our 
horrible  guests.  As  a  finishing  stroke,  first  Levi,  then  Isaiah, 
had  to  struggle  with  dysentery  ;  Middleton,  too,  who  could  not 
understand  that  the  fever  would  dare  to  attack  him — ///w, 
so  active  and  so  necessary.     And  on  the  top  of  all  that,  every 

'  Six  horses  were  lost  at  the  Marico,  three  belonging  to  members  of  the 
expedition,  and  three  which  some  Basuto  chiefs  were  sending  as  a  present  to 
Khama.     Only  one  remained. 


I20  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

one  had  to  be  put  on  rations.  It  was  easy  enough  for  ourselves, 
but  less  so  for  our  people,  one  or  two  of  whom  were  rather 
perverse.  But  when  they  saw  my  wife  merrily  kneading  a 
small  loaf  of  bread  with  all  the  siftings  and  all  the  bran,  this 
loaf,  baked  in  a  brass  pot,  being  the  allowance  of  bread  for 
six  persons  during  a  whole  week,  they  understood,  and  even 
pushed  the  economising  of  our  few  remaining  provisions  to 
a  further  extent  than  we  would  have  dared  to  insist  on. 

In  such  a  situation,  everybody  vied  with  each  other  to  bring 
the  first  news  of  the  river  in  the  morning.  They  went  to  look 
as  soon  as  dawn  appeared,  and  twenty  times  more  during  the 
day,  to  examine  the  pieces  of  wood  stuck  the  previous  day 
at  the  margin  of  the  water.  One  day,  it  was  declared  to  have 
sunk  a  great  deal,  and  already  we  began  to  make  plans  for 
fording  it,  but  the  next  day  it  had  risen  again.  A  fortnight 
passed  thus,  and  we  were  obliged  to  devise  something  to  pass 
the  time.  Some  looked  after  the  cattle,  others  took  their  guns, 
searched  the  woods,  and  frightened  the  game  ;  a  third  party  got 
some  fishing  tackle  ready,  and  went  to — watch  the  water  flowing, 
and  look  out  for  the  crocodiles,  which,  however,  kept  out  of 
sight !  We  also  unpacked  the  splendid  boat  given  us  by  the 
African  Society  of  Paris,^  and  thus  we  could  visit  travellers 
on  the  other  side  who  were  stopped  like  ourselves,  exchange 
provisions  with  them,  and  even  procure  a  little  milk  for  ourselves 
from  time  to  time. 

At  last  the  day  of  our  deliverance  came,  A  messenger 
whom  I  had  sent  to  Mangwato  brought  us  some  oxen  from  the 
chief,  and  some  waggons  which  the  traders  had  sent  to  lighten 
ours.  You  may  guess  how  eagerly  we  seized  our  pickaxes  and 
spades  to  level  the  steep  banks,  and  our  hatchets  to  fill  up  the 
mud-holes  with  trunks  of  trees  and  branches.  The  river  was 
still  deep  ;  the  oxen  had  to  swim  :  the  current  was  rapid  too, 
and  washed  into  the  waggons.  Never  mind !  we  shut  our  eyes 
to  all  danger,  launched  the  waggons  one  after  another,  and 
crossed  without  further  mishap.  We  thanked  God,  and  began 
to  breathe  freely.  On  seeing  the  rotten  roads,  and  the  ruts 
made  by  our  predecessors,  we  understood  Whose  hand  had 
stopped  us  at  Marico.     If  we  took  six  weeks  to  cover  a  distance 

'  The  Messager  de  Paix,  unfortunately  wrecked  later  on. 


i884]  KHAMA'S   town  121 

which  usually  took  from  twelve  to  fourteen  days,  other  people, 
who  were  accustomed  to  the  business,  and  had  taken  the  most 
direct  route,  did  not  arrive  before  us.  As  to  our  oxen,  we 
were  thought  lucky  to  have  lost  no  more.  Poor  consolation, 
is  it  not?  But  still  that  is  all  the  consolation  travellers 
exchange ! 

We  travelled  more  rapidly  now,  and  at  the  end  of  a  fortnight 
saluted  the  hills  of  Mangwato.  One  day,  during  our  midday 
halt,  whilst  breakfast  was  being  cooked  we  were  sitting  in  the 
shade  and  practising  an  appropriate  hymn,  when  we  heard  a 
horse's  trot  behind  us.  I  looked  round  ;  it  was  Aaron  coming 
to  meet  us  with  Khama's  son-in-law.  We  shook  hands  with 
the  warmth  of  old  friends  ;  then  we  sat  down  and  bombarded 
each  other  with  questions.  The  good  man  had  left  Seleka 
eleven  days  before,  and  had  come  to  meet  us  on  foot.  He  told 
us  about  the  death  of  his  daughter  Caroline,  a  short  time 
before.  This  dear  little  girl,  who  was  eight  years  old,  and  had 
contributed  not  a  little  to  the  enlivenment  of  our  party,  had 
been  bitten  by  a  snake  one  night  in  bed,  and  died  after  two 
days  of  agony.  She  was  every  one's  pet,  and  she  seems  to  have 
been  a  child  who  loved  the  Saviour.  When  her  mother  saw  she 
was  dying,  she  said  to  her,  "  What  would  you  say,  if  that  snake 
were  a  messenger  from  the  Lord  to  call  you  to  Him?"  "Oh, 
mother  ! "  she  answered,  "  I  should  say  nothing,  and  only  be 
very  glad  :  I  do  love  Him  so." 

It  was  pleasant  to  meet  such  friends  as  Khama,  Mr.  Whiteley, 
Mr.  Musson,  and  others  at  Mangwato.  Khama  is  always  the 
same,  and  he  was  overjoyed  to  see  us  again.  He  had  his 
"fatted  calf"  all  ready — a  great  sheep  of  the  African  breed,  with 
a  tail  weighing  from  ten  to  fifteen  pounds  or  more,  the  fat  of 
which  is  very  much  appreciated.  He  also  provided  for  our 
cattle,  and  sent  us  two  large  loads  of  firewood,  immediately. 
Every  morning,  he  used  to  come  to  our  camp  with  a  smiling 
face  to  ask  after  our  health.  On  the  day  appointed  for  our 
official  salutations,  we  went  in  a  body  to  the  lekJiotJUa,  where 
the  chief  was  awaiting  us,  surrounded  by  his  suite.  He  received 
my  little  speech,  sentence  by  sentence,  with  an  emphatic  "  E  Rre  " 
("Yes,  my  father").  I  delivered  messages  to  him  from  a 
number  of  European  friends.  Then  came  the  climax — the 
presentation  of  a  fine  musical   box,   playing  six  hymn   tunes, 


122  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

made  expressly  for  him  at  Geneva.  It  was  handed  to  me,  and 
I  uncovered  it.  Every  head  was  craning  forward,  and  every 
eye  was  fixed  on  me  and  the  mysterious  object.  I  put  my  hand 
in  my  pocket  for  the  key :  it  was  not  there  !  I  searched — 
searched  everywhere,  and  searched  again — all  to  no  purpose  :  the 
key  was  lost !     Tableau  ! 

A  little  coolness  and  presence  of  mind  saved  the  situation, 
and  indeed  the  unlucky  incident  only  had  the  effect  of 
sharpening  curiosity,  for  the  next  morning"  the  crowd  and 
excitement  were  greater  than  ever,  when  suddenly  the  melody 
and  charming  accompaniments  of  that  hymn  "  Safe  in  the  arms 
of  Jesus  "  were  heard  !  Of  course,  after  that,  every  one  wanted 
to  hear  the  box  sing  ! 

Four  or  five  days  after  our  arrival,  M.  Jeanmairet  and  I 
left  for  Seleka.  The  chief  gave  us  some  oxen  ;  and  one  of  his 
brothers,  his  waggon.  We  made  the  journey,  there  and  back, 
by  forced  marches,  so  as  not  to  spend  a  Sunday  on  the  road, 
and  we  were  not  away  more  than  a  fortnight.  Our  object 
was  either  to  relieve,  or,  preferably,  to  definitely  suppress,  the 
station  at  Seleka.  Asser  had  returned  to  Basuto-land  with  his 
numerous  family  ;  Andreas  has  received  a  call  from  our  Swiss 
brethren  at  Valdezia,  and  is  only  waiting  till  they  send  for 
him.  Being  a  near  relative  of  certain  Makololo  chiefs,  and 
especially  of  a  man  who  quite  recently  gravely  compromised 
the  name  of  the  tribe,  and  who  died  while  heading  some 
Matabele  hordes  against  the  chief  Moremi,  he  rightly  feared 
his  presence  among  us  might  give  offence  to  the  Barotsi.  As 
for  Aaron,  he  is  coming  with  us.  We  arrived  at  Seleka  on 
Saturday,  and  were  to  leave  on  the  Tuesday.  But,  in  the 
meantime,  we  could  not  sit  with  our  hands  folded.  Our  first 
interview  with  the  chief  Kob6  was  characteristic.  No  one 
but  ourselves  might  enter  his  court.  As  a  precautionary 
measure,  his  son  squatted  down  in  front  of  the  door,  which 
was  tiny  enough  as  it  was  ;  and  the  entrance  to  the  royal  hut 
having  been  carefully  closed,  we  did  not  enjoy  the  privilege 
of  seeing  his  Highness's  face.  He  was  there,  however,  inside  ; 
for  at  every  pause  in  my  speech  we  heard  a  sulky  grunt  from 
a  hoarse  voice,  which,  when  I  had  finished,  cleared  itself  suffi- 
ciently to  say,  "  Go  away  with  the  rain,  and  may  the  rain 
follow  you  wherever  you  go  !     May  God  deluge  you  with  rain  ! 


i8S4]  THE   CONVERT  OF   SELEKA  I23 

Thank  you  ! "  And  that  was  all  the  regret  he  felt  at  seeing 
the  evangelists  depart. 

The  next  day,  the  whole  village  assembled  for  the  morning 
gathering — two  hundred  persons  at  the  most,  all  told.  M.  Jean- 
mairet  baptised  Aaron's  infant  and  that  of  Andreas ;  and  I 
baptised  a  boy  about  fourteen  years  old,  Moscnene  (a  serpent 
or  adder),  who  took  the  name  of  Zacchajus.  This  was  the  only 
actual  fruit  of  the  mission  at  Seleka.  Three  men  have  returned 
to  the  world,  and  three  others  have  emigrated  to  a  German 
station.  We  hesitated  at  first,  on  seeing  Mosenene's  youth  ; 
but  when  we  had  heard  him  confess  his  faith,  and  answer  all 
our  questions  intelligently,  we  were  quite  satisfied.  It  was 
touching  to  see  this  young  lad  rise  in  the  midst  of  the  con- 
gregation to  make  a  public  declaration  of  his  profession,  and 
then  kneel  to  receive  the  seal  of  baptism.  The  most  absurd 
reports  had  been  circulated  about  this  ceremony,  and  conse- 
quently every  one  was  eager  to  see  with  his  own  eyes  what 
would  happen  to  Mosenene  when  we  gave  him  children's  flesh 
to  eat,  and  human  brains  to  drink !  Since  then,  Kob6  has 
sent  the  boy  to  us  here  at  Mangwato  with  two  other  men,  so 
that  we  may  send  him  on  to  the  school  in  Basuto-land.  "  He 
will  come  back  and  teach  us  in  a  year,"  he  said. 

The  afternoon  service  was  less  well  attended,  though  it  was 
then  that  the  evangelists  were  to  make  their  farewells.  Aaron 
did  so  in  the  style  of  a  true  Boanerges  ;  Andreas  with  no  less 
authority,  but  more  gentleness.  One  could  quite  feel  these  men 
had  taken  up  a  position,  and  that  they  were  regarded  by  the 
natives  much  as  the  Basuto  regarded  us.  Moreover,  our 
evangelists  had  passed  through  experiences  which  had  been 
wholesome  to  them,  and  had  made  them  understand  our  own 
situation.  They  have  worked  hard  at  Seleka  ;  and  if  there  have 
been  few  conversions,  I  was  struck  by  the  number  of  those  who 
knew  how  to  read  and  write,  and  the  spirited  way  they  joined 
in  the  singing.  We  had  the  painful  impression  that  the  natives 
of  Seleka  were  hardened,  and  that  our  taking  away  these 
witnesses  for  the  truth  was  a  relief  to  them.  Already  they  were 
beginning  to  dispute  the  thatches  of  their  huts,  and  to  worry 
them  with  becrffinc;. 

It  was  at  Seleka  that  we  had  to  part  from  Filipi,  a  man 
from  this  district  who  was  converted  at  Bcrea,  and  above  all 


124  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

from  Jonathan,  who  is  returning  to  Valdczia  with  his  son  and 
another  boy  who  accompanied  him  from  Basuto-land.  It  costs 
us  much  to  bid  good-bye  to  our  dear  Jonathan  ;  he  is  our  son 
in  the  faith,  and  I  believe  he  feels  towards  us  as  much  affection 
as  we  have  ever  had  for  him.  With  him,  too,  the  expedition 
loses  a  part  of  its  very  soul,  if  not  its  right  hand  too.  His 
energetic,  sometimes  impetuous  character  brings  him  always  to 
the  front.  He  wanted  to  accompany  us  here,  and  would  not 
accept  more  than  half  the  wages  the  others  demanded,  either  for 
himself  or  for  his  two  boys.  Six  men  left  us  here,  according 
to  our  previous  arrangement.  Who  will  replace  them  ?  Khama 
assured  me  that  I  must  not  look  to  him,  on  account  of  the 
rumours  of  war.  This  was  another  of  those  waves  that  break 
against  our  faith,  yet  without  shaking  it  too  much.  On  our 
return,  Khama  showed  that  he  had  not  forgotten  us.  He  is 
lending  us  three  men  ;  and  to  spare  us  too  great  an  expenditure, 
he  is  sending  three  messengers  with  us,  who,  besides  the 
message  entrusted  to  them  for  the  Barotsi  king,  are  com- 
missioned to  help  us  on  our  way. 

There  was  also  news  from  the  Zambesi.  Two  young  men, 
who  had  been  there  on  a  commercial  enterprise,  were  returning 
with  their  health  shattered  by  fever,  and  they  brought  us  quite 
a  budget  of  correspondence.  Mr.  Arnot,  in  a  long  letter 
teeming  with  interest,  gives  us  every  detail  about  his  work. 
He  is  still  at  the  capital,  and  has  started  a  school,  which  has 
already  passed  through  all  sorts  of  ups  and  downs.  Robosi 
himself  writes  to  Khama  ^  asking  him  for  his  alliance  ;  and  as 
a  proof  of  friendship,  for  one  of  his  daughters  in  marriage,  and 
a  black  dog !  He  announces  that  the  Jesuits  have  been  to 
him,  but  that  they  are  not  after  his  heart,  nor  yet  after  his 
people's  heart,  and  he  has  forbidden  them  to  come  into  his 
country.  "  The  one  we  are  looking  for  is  M.  Coillard,"  he  adds. 
"  I  am  told  he  is  on  his  way  hither,  and  I  ask  you  as  a  favour 
to  help  him,  so  that  he  may  come  as  quickly  as  possible."  Do 
not  found  too  many  hopes  on  the  favourable  disposition  of 
a  heathen  chief  who  knows  nothing  of  the  Gospel.  Paul,  in 
obeying  the  Macedonian's  call,  found  a  prison  in  Macedonia. 
But  what  did  it  matter,  since  that  prison  proved  to  be  the  door 
of  Europe? 

'  Of  course  by  Mr.  Arnot's  hand. 


i884i  friendship's  OFFERING  12$ 

We  wanted  to  wait  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn's  return  from 
England  before  presenting  the  Church  at  Shoshong  with  the 
beautiful  set  of  communion  plate  which  the  Comite  des  Dames 
de  Paris  had  procured  for  us.  As  our  friends  did  not  arrive, 
however,  we  had  to  do  it  without  them.  The  presentation  took 
place  the  day  before  yesterday — a  very  simple  but  very  cordial 
ceremony.  The  vote  of  thanks  brought  home  to  us  the  fact 
that  we  are  no  longer  in  Basuto-land,  the  Greece  of  South 
Africa,  but  it  was  none  the  less  appreciated  on  that  account. 
Khama's  speech  consisted  of  two  draught  oxen  which  he  sent 
the  next  morning !  Another  gave  us  a  cow,  and  a  third  two 
sheep.  Friendship  {sctsualle,  as  we  say  in  Scsuto)  is  a  great 
institution  here.  Numerous  as  we  are,  each  one  has  his 
motsualle}  or  tsala"" — his  friend.  This  friendship  entails  all 
sorts  of  duties  and  privileges,  especially  in  the  way  of  gifts. 
Even  though  there  is  a  famine  at  Mangwato,  our  "  friends  "  do 
not  let  us  want  for  water-melons,  sugar-cane,  curdled  milk,  etc. 
Naturally,  my  special  friend  is  Khama.  He  had  prepared  a 
fine  jackal-skin  kaross  against  my  arrival,  and  a  leopard  skin 
for  my  wife.     We  shall  be  rich  when  we  leave  Mangwato  ! 

I  forgot  to  mention  the  post.  The  post !  How  it  makes 
our  hearts  beat !  A  friend  of  ours,  knowing  we  were  at  Marico, 
had  taken  the  first  opportunity  of  sending  us  a  packet  of  letters. 
The  man  to  whom  they  were  entrusted  proved  friendly  to  the 
last  degree  ;  he  spent  a  whole  evening  with  us,  chatting  on 
every  conceivable  subject — except  the  post.  On  arriving  at 
Mangwato,  four  days  after,  we  heard  that  this  good  man  had 
had  our  letters !  He  had  quite  forgotten  to  hand  them  over. 
We  had  our  compensation  though ;  for  besides  the  express 
messenger  he  sent  on  a  fortnight  later,  Mr.  Dawson,  when  he 
came  to  greet  us,  was  followed  by  a  man  carrying  on  his  head 
a  large  basket  full  of  newspapers  and  more  correspondence. 
You  should  have  seen  how  we  all  pressed  round  it,  and  how  all 
eyes  sparkled  at  the  sight.  The  postal  service  is  interrupted 
now,  because  of  the  small-pox  which  is  raging  in  the  direction 
of  Zeerust.  The  two  postmen,  who  are  sent  every  three  weeks, 
take  a  fortnight  to  accomplish  the  journey,  and  it  costs  £i.  In 
order  to  defray  the  cost  of  the  service,  a  tax  of  £i  los.  is 
imposed  upon  every  European  without  distinction  who  makes 
'  Sesuto  word.  *  Sechuana  word. 


126  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1884 

a  stay  in  the  country,  and  it  means  therefore  ;^I4  for  us. 
But  the  Europeans  of  the  district  have  held  a  consultation,  and 
unanimously  decided  to  make  us  pay  only  half  that  sum. 

We  are  now  on  the  eve  of  starting  again.  We  have  been 
obliged  to  deposit  some  of  our  baggage  here,  and  consequently 
there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  work  to  do,  in  unpacking  and 
repacking,  and  much  cause  for  lamentation  over  the  damaged 
and  broken  articles.  But  the  waggons  are  reloaded  at  last,  and 
they  have  been  covered  with  ox -hides,  to  protect  them  a  little 
from  the  spikes  and  branches  that  obstruct  the  path.  Even 
dead  oxen  are  still  good  for  something. 

Kank,  on  the  way  to  the  Zambesi,  May  2^th,  1884. 

As  we  had  to  lighten  our  waggons,  because  of  the  deep  sands 
we  have  to  plough  through  in  the  desert,  we  have  been  obliged 
to  unload,  sort,  repack,  often  to  load,  unload,  and  load  again, 
and  make  all  sorts  of  combinations.  We  must  inspect  every 
case,  and  weigh  the  importance  of  every  article.  Our  clothes 
and  personal  effects  gave  us  little  trouble.  By  this  time,  we 
have  learnt  to  strip  ourselves  by  degrees  of  what  we  like  to  call 
necessaries^  and  to  content  ourselves  with  very  little.  Our  friend 
Jeanmairet  has  left  a  good  part  of  his  own  property  to  make 
room  for  objects  of  more  general  utility.  He  has  proposed  it 
so  heartily,  and  done  it  with  such  a  good  grace,  that  it  is  really 
quite  a  lesson  for  us  all. 

In  spite  of  all  this  selection,  we  still  have  a  great  deal  of 
cargo  which  gives  us  anxiety.  The  purse  of  the  Zambesi  is 
unfortunately  very  cumbersome.  Oh  those  bales  of  stuff,  those 
cases  of  glass  beads,  that  Parisian  bazaar  on  a  small  scale ! 
What  would  we  not  give  to  reduce  it  all  to  £  s.  d,\  Then, 
again,  we  are  carrying  the  granary  and  the  grocery  of  the 
whole  caravan,  which  are  no  trifle.  Do  you  know  how  many 
of  us  there  arc  ?  Twenty-nine,  without  counting  the  Masaroa 
Khama  has  placed  at  our  service,  the  number  of  whom  is  left 
to  our  discretion.  The  family  of  Aaron  has  linked  itself  to  us, 
with  all  the  indispensable  adjuncts  of  an  additional  waggon,  and 
a  team  of  cattle.  But  Aaron  is  not  the  man  to  sit  enthroned  on 
the  box  in  front,  with  a  white  sunshade  and  a  pocket-hand- 
kerchief to  fan  himself  He  brings  a  valuable  clement  of  energy 
into  our  midst,  and  has  taken  upon  himself  a  great  part  of  the 


LEAVING   SHOSHONG  1 27 

responsibility,  so  that  he  is  a  great  relief  to  me.  He  has  left 
the  care  of  conducting  his  own  waggon  to  Ezekiel  Pampanyane, 
and  has  bravely  taken  charge  of  the  cart.  This  is  no  trifle,  for 
it  is  drawn  by  two  oxen,  which  support  the  pole,  and  by  six  asses, 
which  he  has  had  to  train.  Nothing  could  be  droller  than  this 
team.  The  oxen,  feeling  themselves  disgraced,  shake  their  heads 
and  try  to  gore  their  new  yoke-fellows  :  the  donkeys  do  not 
disturb  themselves  in  the  least  ;  they  are  placid  to  excess.  You 
may  yoke  them,  you  may  push  them,  you  may  thrash  them — 
nothing  ruffles  them.  They  do  not  stop  short  at  a  bad  place, 
neither  are  they  to  be  hurried  on  a  good  road.  If  you  have 
not  learned  patience,  they  will  teach  it  you.  Karumba,  the 
trumpeter  of  the  caravan,  has  taken  upon  himself  to  help  Aaron 
conduct  this  equipage,  at  which  everybody  laughs.  But  Waddcll, 
Middlcton,  and  even  M.  Jeanmairet,  also  lend  a  hand  very 
readily. 

Our  departure  from  Mangwato  has  been,  like  all  departures, 
profoundly  sad.  One  does  not  separate  from  friends  like 
Khama  without  a  pang.  And  yet  I  leaped  for  joy  when  we 
descended  the  hills  that  hide  Mangwato  from  our  eyes,  and 
breathed  the  air  of  the  Kalahari.  The  evening  before,  we  took 
the  Lord's  Supper  at  nine  o'clock,  in  the  room  of  our  much- 
respected  friend  Mr.  Whiteley,  who  is  at  the  head  of  one  of  the 
first  houses  of  business  here.  The  elders,  the  chief  Khama,  and 
a  few  Europeans  joined  with  the  members  of  the  expedition. 
Solemn  moment,  which  none  of  those  present  will  ever  forget ! 
Among  this  number  was  Zakea  Mosenene,  the  lad  we  had 
baptised  at  Selcka.  He  had  arrived  a  few  days  previously. 
After  the  departure  of  his  evangelists,  the  chief  Kobe,  realising 
then  the  consequences  of  our  abandonment,  sent  Mosendnc  and 
two  men  to  us  with  the  request  that  we  would  complete  his 
education  and  "  make  him  grow,"  so  as  to  make  an  evangelist 
of  him  for  himself.  He  will  go  to  the  Bible  School  at  Morija, 
when  our  Basuto  return  thither.^ 

*  After  lour  years  spent  at  the  public  school  ot  Morija,  Zacchreus 
Mosenene  returned  to  his  own  people,  who,  however,  were  no  longer  to  be 
found  at  the  old  place  :  they  had  emigrated  to  the  Transvaal,  and  a  new 
Seleka  had  arisen  on  the  banks  of  the  Limpopo.  Zacclia.'us  followed  them, 
and  is  still  with  them.  He  has  remained  a  steadfast  Christian,  and  his 
letters  show  that  as  a  schoolmaster  and  evangelist  he  is  doing  a  good  work. 
He  has  indeed  "  grown,"  and  he  has  the  \.x\xe./€U  sacre.— Author's  Note. 


128  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

We  could  not  be  ready  till  the  evening  of  the  next  day, 
Wednesday,  21st.  You  might  have  seen  us  there  in  the 
public  place,  our  six  waggons  inspanned,  surrounded  by  all 
the  European  population  of  the  neighbourhood,  and  a  crowd  of 
Bamangwato.  According  to  our  daily  custom,  directly  the 
oxen  were  yoked,  and  before  the  signal  was  given  to  start,  we 
all  stood  with  heads  uncovered,  and  amidst  profound  silence 
raised  our  hymn — the  hymn  that  inaugurates  every  day's 
march  : 

Ka  linako  tsotle  (I  need  Thee  every  hour, 

Moreiiaka!  Most  gracious  Lord!) 

Then,  kneeling  down,  we  commended  each  other  to  God,  and 
to  the  word  of  His  grace !  Then  came  the  handshakings,  the 
last  farewells  ;  falling  night  hid  the  general  commotion ;  but 
some  electric  current,  I  know  not  what,  seized  us  irresistibly,  and 
made  the  most  secret  fibres  of  our  hearts  vibrate. 

After  having  passed  the  last  huts  of  the  town,  and  bidden 
farewell  to  the  last  of  our  friends,  we  passed  on  our  way  in 
silence.  The  sky  was  starlit,  the  air  fresh  and  bracing.  One 
heard  not  a  sound  but  the  groaning  of  the  wheels,  the  crack  of 
the  whip,  and  the  conductor's  "  Trek  "  ;  and  no  one  felt  in  the 
mood  to  talk.  "  Khama :  what  a  noble  man  he  is  !  And 
Kuate :  what  a  friend ! "  said  one  or  other  from  time  to  time, 
without  comment.  Yes,  indeed !  Do  you  see  those  two 
draught  oxen  ?  They  are  Khama's  salutation.  That  beautiful 
black  heifer  ?  Kuate's.  Those  three  milch  cows  come  from 
Mr.  Whiteley  ;  this  sack  of  maize  and  this  salt  meat  from 
Mr.  Beaumont,  the  butcher  of  Mangwato.  Those  eight  hens  come 
from  the  yard  of  a  young  clerk  ;  and  fowls  are  scarce  here. 
These  goats,  these  broad-tailed  sheep,  are  an  expression  of  good 
wishes  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  and  the  principal  members  of 
the  Church.  Here  also  are  pumpkins,  water-melons,  curds, 
millet,  and  I  don't  know  what  besides. 

And  these  kind  people  have  given  us  all  this,  telling  us  in 
every  tone  that  they  will  be  so  sorry,  so  sorry  when  we  are 
gone !  Each  wanted  to  show  us  that  we  were  loved  for  the 
sake  of  the  work  we  were  going  to  do.  "  Since  I  have  known 
the  Lord,"  one  friend  said  to  me,  "  no  work  interests  me  like 
yours.     It  is   a    delightful  privilege  to  help  it  on,  and  I  hope 


i8S4]  DREARY   MANGWATO  1 29 

with  all  my  heart  that  the  day  will  come  for  me  to  serve  it 
more  effectively."  He  is  a  trader,  who  makes  our  mission  a 
constant  subject  of  prayer  ;  but  he  is  not  the  only  one  who  has 
shown  us  how  much  he  sympathises  with  us  in  our  serious 
enterprise.  This  is  worth  something  in  a  community  where 
travellers  and  missionaries  are  judged  otherwise  than  in  Europe. 
Note,  moreover,  that  Mangwato  is  one  of  the  driest  and  most 
arid  of  places.  It  is  a  bitter  irony  for  a  missionary  to  glorify 
the  enclosure  before  his  house  with  the  name  of  garden :  it  is 
nothing  but  an  area  burnt  up  by  the  sun,  in  which  only  thistles 
and  one  or  two  stunted  mimosas  will  grow.  Those  who 
have  a  passion  for  gardening  try  by  unremitting  care  to  rear 
a  syringa,  an  oleander,  or  a  passion-flower  ;  a  cabbage  that  never 
comes  to  a  head  ;  two  or  three  bunches  of  salad  which  are  hard 
even  in  sprouting.  Can  you  believe  it  ?  We  have  had  vege- 
tables at  Shoshong  !  Every  one  who  could  deprived  himself  so 
as  to  send  some  to  us.  However,  it  is  the  rule  here  never 
to  sell  these  delicacies — they  are  sent  to  friends  ;  and  if  by 
good  fortune  any  one  brings  potatoes,  onions,  or  dried  fruit  to 
Mangwato,  they  are  bought  for  the  whole  community. 

Unhappily,  things  are  going  badly  ;  times  are  hard.  Trade, 
which  here  is  exhausted,  will  go  to  seek  its  fortune  on  the  banks 
of  the  Zambesi.  Ostriches  and  elephants  carry  their  plumes 
and  their  ivory  farther  away.  The  terror  inspired  by  the  name 
of  Matabele  keeps  the  Bamangwato  always  on  the  alert,  and 
forbids  them  to  hunt.  The  traders  declare  openly  that  they 
are  only  living  on  what  they  have  saved,  and  each  is  trying  to 
wind  up  and  quit  the  country,      Khama,  too,  has  plans  of  his  own.^ 

'  Every  one  knows  that  Khama  has  since  transported  his  capital  with  its 
whole  population  to  Palapye. 


CHAPTER     X 

Shoshong  to  Leshcira— Kane — Cold — Khama's  Envoys  to  Robosi — M.  Coil- 
lard's  Fiftieth  Birthday— Pata-matenga — The  Jesuits'  Mission — Their 
Kindness — Difficulties  of  the  Journey — Waddell  —  Aaron  —  Levi  — 
Leshoma — A  Pilgrimage. 

Kane,  May  2^ih,   1884. 

KANE  is  the  Becrsheba  of  the  desert  :  there  are  at  least 
seven  wells.  They  are  not  spr!n2;s,  however  ;  and  when 
we  passed  here  five  years  ago,  we  found  only  a  little  mud  in 
the  holes,  and  I  was  forced  to  buy  water  from  the  Bushmen, 
bartering  tobacco  for  it.^  Now  the  wells  are  full.  I  had 
intended  going  farther  to  spend  Sunday ;  but  we  had  so  much 
trouble  to  get  through  the  sand,  even  when  doubling  the  teams, 
that  we  did  not  arrive  here  till  midda)^  ;  and  then  rain  came  on, 
which  has  never  stopped  since.  The  thermometer,  which  a  few 
days  ago  stood  at  95°  Fahr.,  fell  to  58°,  and  we  were  reduced 
to  curling  ourselves  up  the  best  way  we  could  in  our  damp 
waggons.  "  There  aren't  any  tropics  ;  I  don't  believe  in  them," 
says  somebody,  muffling  himself  round  in  his  cloak  ;  and  nobody 
contradicts  him,  but  we  all  have  a  good  laugh,  which  warms 
us  up.  Such  a  great  and  sudden  change  of  temperature  is 
exceedingly  trying.  One  can  never,  in  this  country,  lay  aside 
one's  winter  clothes.  Among  the  comforts  I  enjoy  is  a  pair 
of  sabots  with  wooden  soles  and  leather  uppers,  which  I  brought 
from  France.  I  pity  those  who  have  none,  and  I  cannot  think 
how  I  did  without  them  for  twenty-three  years. 

*  Tlie  Bushman's  method  of  obtaining  water  is  as  follows  :  A  man  or 
woman  (usually  the  latter)  holds  in  his  or  her  mouth  a  long  reed  and  a  bent 
of  grass  ;  the  other  end  of  the  reed  is  inserted  in  the  mud-hole  :  the  water  is 
sucked  up  and  ejected;  it  runs  along  the  bent  of  grass  into  a  gourd.  The 
Bushmen  thus  act  as  human  syphons  ;  they  keep  gourds  of  this  water  by 
them  to  sell  to  travellers.     See  Livingstone's  "  Travels  on  the  Zambesi." 


1884]  PATA-MAThNGA  I31 

Just  now,  as  I  am  wriiing,  a  messenger  is  arriving  from 
Khama.  He  has  come  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  through 
pouring  rain  to  bring  us  a  little  packet,  and  the  salutations 
of  the  chief  He  will  return  to-morrow  with  this  letter.  In 
answer  to  a  communication  from  Robosi,  king  of  the  Barotsi, 
who  asks,  among  other  things,  that  Khama  should  help  us  on 
our  road,  the  latter  sends  Makoatsa  and  four  men  to  accompany 
us  as  far  as  to  Robosi  himself  One  takes  charge  of  the  led 
cattle,  another  of  the  sheep,  a  third  of  the  donke3^s  ;  the  fourth 
looks  after  the  beautiful  horse  Khama  is  sending  to  Robosi, 
with  a  fine  carbine  ;  and  Makoatsa  is  to  watch  that  they  do  their 
work  well  and  take  care  of  us.  "If  you  neglect  your  duty, 
if  you  annoy  the  Chief's  friend,  Jie  will  not  lay  his  hand  upon 
you,  because  he  is  a  man  of  God.  But  I  an:i  Makoatsa,  and 
I  will  make  you  eat  some  stick  ;  and  when  you  return,  it  is 
the  Chief  you  will  have  to  do  with  !"  This  was  his  speech  in 
presenting  these  men  to  me,  whom  Khama  gives  us  without 
wages.  Meantime,  one  of  them  who  acted  as  guide  during 
the  night  nearly  made  us  lose  our  way  in  the  wood,  which  might 
have  led  to  serious  accidents  ;  and  to-day,  he  has  allowed  the 
oxen  to  stray. 

Every  day  we  have  to  congratulate  ourselves  upon  having 
my  wife  and  niece  with  us.  The  complications  their  presence 
occasions  are  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  benefit  it  brings 
to  us  all.  My  wife  has  taken  her  place  as  mother  and  hospital 
nurse  among  us  ;  and  she  is  often  our  providence. 

(F.  C.  to  personal  friends  on  his  fiftieth  birthday.) 

Pata-matenga,  y«/j/  17///,  1884. 

I  know  that  if  any  one  thinks  of  me  to-day,  it  Mill  be  you. 
Well,  dear  friends,  the  wishes  and  prayers  you  offer  for  us  are 
placed  in  a  safe  bank — you  may  be  sure  of  that.  And  we  respond 
to  them  by  those  electric  lines  which  centre  in  the  heart  of  the 
eternal  Father.  The  fiftieth  year  of  my  life  is  now  accom- 
plished How  much  longer  is  left  me  to  serve  my  Master  here 
below?  I  am  quite  ready,  if  He  should  wish  me,  to  glorify  His 
name,  either  by  life  or  by  death.  The  desire  of  my  heart, 
subject  to  His  Divine  will,  is  nevertheless  that  He  may  still 
grant   me   a  few  years  in  which  to  establish   the   work  we  are 


132  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

beginning.  What  joy  it  would  be  to  me  to  see  some  Barotsi 
converted,  and  the  Gospel  spread  among  other  tribes,  before  my 
departure  for  heaven.  If  you  only  knew  the  happiness  I  felt 
when  I  arrived  here  !  We  are  not  at  the  Zambesi  yet,  but  we  are 
not  far  from  it  ;  for  early  in  the  morning  one  can  almost  see  from 
here  the  clouds  of  spray  rising  from  Musi  oa  Tunya.  Another 
four  or  five  days'  waggon  journey,  and  we  shall  once  more  pitch 
our  tents  at  Leshoma.  We  shall  then  be  only  three  or  four 
miles  from  the  Zambesi,  the  course  of  which  we  have  already 
been  following  at  a  distance,  and  which  we  are  now  approaching 
diagonally. 

Pata-matenga,  which  five  years  ago  we  thought  so  fresh  and 
charming,  has  become  dreary  and  desolate.  Westbeech's  estab- 
lishment is  still  there,  surrounded  by  a  few  native  huts,  and 
.supplemented  by  the  Jesuits'  buildings  ;  but  the  Mapane  Wood 
is  half  destroyed,  the  grass  dried  up,  and  partly  burnt  (for  it  is 
winter)  ;  and  as  there  have  even  been  frosts,  the  palm  trees  too 
are  withered  up.  However,  there  is  still  one  little  corner  on 
which  one's  eyes  may  rest  with  pleasure ;  it  is  the  corn  fields, 
with  their  delicate  green,  belonging  to  Mr.  Westbeech  and  the 
Jesuit  Fathers,  and  the  latter's  kitchen  garden.  To  see  a  piece 
of  ground  at  Pata-matenga,  well  cultivated  and  tended,  the 
borders  neatly  marked  out,  and  filled  with  straight  rows  of 
cabbages,  potatoes,  peas,  and  lettuce,  is  a  delightful  sight  to 
those  who  have  been  travelling  for  nearly  two  months,  through 
sand,  sloughs,  and  tracts  of  forest  land  or  desert. 

Mr.  Westbeech,  informed  of  our  approach  by  the  natives, 
was  awaiting  our  arrival.  Till  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening,  he 
stood  at  his  door  with  lanterns  to  encourage  us.  As  for  us,  we, 
alas  !  were  stuck  in  a  fearful  bog,  where  our  waggons  had  sunk 
up  to  the  axle-trees.  After  struggling,  toiling,  belabouring  and 
shouting  at  our  oxen  till  midnight,  we  succeeded  in  bringing 
them  to  a  less  muddy  spot,  where  we  had  no  choice  but  to 
remain  till  daybreak.  Mr.  Westbeech  came  to  meet  us,  and  the 
news  he  gave  us  from  the  Zambesi  was  encouraging.  "  All  the 
chiefs  are  in  your  favour,"  he  said  ;  "  but  I  confess,  while  I  was 
doing  my  best  to  persuade  them  to  have  patience,  I  had  given  up 
all  hope  myself      It  was  impossible  to  understand  your  delays." 

The  Jesuits  have  established  themselves  very  well  here  ; 
they    have  a   chapel,  a  simple  but   co.sy   little  house,  huts  and 


1884]  THE   JESUITS'    MISSION    STATION  1 33 

sheds  for  storehouses,  a  fine  poultry  yard,  and  a  pretty  garden  : 
it  is  a  little  village  which  would  be  prosperous  as  a  mission 
station  if  there  were  any  evangelisation  to  be  done  here.  But 
what  can  they  do  where  there  is  no  population  ?  A  few  wao-o-on- 
drivers  and  servants  may  chance  to  travel  by  with  their 
employers,  and  these  gentlemen  catch  them  on  the  win"-  ;  but 
this  does  not  amount  to  much,  for  they  are  few  and  far  between. 
What  I  do  admire  about  the  Jesuits  is  the  completeness  of 
their  staff.  They  have  a  gardener,  cook,  steward,  carpenter,  etc. 
It  is  the  "brothers"  who  are  entrusted  with  the  material  things 
of  the  establishment :  the  fathers  will  concern  themselves  with 
the  spiritual  when  occasion  offers.  M.  Jcanmairet  and  I  went 
to  see  them  one  day.  Their  garden  is  a  little  oasis,  beautifully 
watered  and  tended,  and  there  are  all  sorts  of  vegetables  in 
it,  with  which  their  owners  are  most  generous.  What  they 
complain  of  is  that  most  of  them  will  not  set  their  seeds,  so 
that  every  year  they  have  to  renew  the  supply  for  fresh  sowings. 
One  of  the  fathers  had  gone  with  a  brother  to  see  the  Victoria 
Falls  ;  but  the  Superior  was  there,  Father  Kroot,  a  Dutchman, 
with  two  brothers,  a  Milanese,  who  is  the  gardener,  and  the 
steward,  an  Englishman.  These  gentlemen  were  very  courteous 
to  us,  and  presented  me  with  two  bags  of  native  wheat  to 
provide  for  my  people.  This  was  indeed  a  very  great  boon, 
for  we  had  already  come  to  an  end  of  our  provisions,  and  Mr. 
Westbeech  had  nothing  to  spare  for  us  either.  They  even 
extended  their  kindness  so  far  as  to  send  me  some  vegetables, 
a  fine  cabbage,  a  few  leeks,  and  some  lettuces  ;  and  these, 
unknown  to  themselves,  provided  us  with  a  little  treat  for  my 
birthday.  But  as  soon  as  they  did  learn  this.  Father  Kroot 
insisted  on  bringing  out  a  bottle  of  Bordeaux,  and  making  every 
one  clink  glasses  and  drink  my  health.  Their  behaviour  was 
all  the  more  noble  since  our  presence  here  must  be  a  thorn  in 
their  side.  I  warmly  appreciate  it,  and  wish  them  well.  I 
feel  more  and  more  that  principles  and  doctrines  must  be 
contended  for,  but  persons  respected.  However,  I  do  not  think 
we  have  ever  neglected  this  maxim  in  practice.^ 

'  Authors  Note. — The  staff  of  this  mission  had  had  a  series  ot  disasters. 
Out  of  seven  members,  one  died  by  a  fall  from  his  horse,  two  were  drowned, 
two  died  of  hunger  and  fatigue,  another  of  consumption,  the  seventh  died  of 
fever  among  tlie  Batoka,  and  some  believed  he  had  been  poisoned. 


134  '^^^    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

Our  intention  is  to  push  on  to  Leshoma,  install  my  wife 
there,  and  tlien  leave  for  the  Upper  Zambesi.  You  can  under- 
stand that  tiiis  three  months'  separation,  w  hich  would  be  a  slight 
matter  in  Basulo-land,  is  a  serious  and  solemn  thing  for  both 
of  us.  My  wife  will  be  left  with  no  light  burden.  If  you  only 
knew  uliat  it  is  to  have  to  provide  for  a  troop  of  rsativcs  like 
ours  !  From  the  moment  the  drivers  lay  down  their  whips, 
not  only  is  all  work  at  an  end,  however  little  that  work  may 
have  been,  but  some  one  has  even  to  cook  their  food  and  draw 
tb.eir  water  for  them,  and  it  is  not  at  all  easy  to  content  them. 
I  wanted  to  send  them  all  back  to  Basuto-land  or  Mangwato. 
But  how  was  it  to  be  done?  My  oxen  are  all  worn  out. 
I  tremble  at  the  thought  of  all  the  expense  and  all  the  worries 
of  their  continued  sojourn  with  us  ;  but  in  spite  of  it  all,  I  am 
glad  they  should  have  come  as  far  as  the  Zambesi,  and  I  hope 
they  will  not  go  away  with  a  bad  impression  of  it.  I  tell  you 
all  this,  that  you  may  not  imagine  we  made  a  triumphal  pro- 
gress across  the  desert,  along  a  path  strewn  with  flowers.  There 
were  thorns,  and  sharp  ones  too,  besides  those  in  the  bushes, 
which  mercilessly  tore  our  garments  and  our  waggon  tilts.  But 
all  that  is  over  now,  and  we  have  to  face  the  new  difficulties 
which  await  us.  What  we  lack  more  than  anything  else  is  a 
good  gardener,  for  our  diet  is  one  of  the  first  things  to  be 
considered,  and  it  is  a  very  poor  way  of  living  to  have  nothing 
but  millet  and  rice,  never  seeing  a  potato  or  green  vegetable. 
We  shall  certainly  try  to  do  something  in  the  way  of  gardenin.g, 
but  it  will  necessarily  be  very  little.  We  did  not  come  for  that 
purpose. 

Leshoma,  Augjisl  jih,  18S4. 

Leshoma !  This  is  our  Bethel.  We  stopped  here  in  our 
wanderings  six  years  ago.  In  the  midst  of  struggles  and  dis- 
tresses which  God  alone  knows,  new  horizons  opened  before  us, 
lighted  by  a  ray  of  liope.  It  is  an  important  date  in  our  career. 
It  is  good  to  come  back  to  Leshoma,  and  pause  to  adore  the 
ways  of  Jehovah,  His  goodness  and  His  faithfulness. 

The  journey  across  the  desert  was  long  :  our  oxen  were  travel- 
worn,  our  waggons  heavy,  own  people  weary  and  dispirited  ; 
and  so,  in  spite  of  all  our  determination,  we  travelled  more 
slowly  than  one  usually  docs.     Indeed,  our  first  stage  to  Kane 


'5^4]  THE    MAKARI-KARI    DPISERT  I35 

was  made  with  so  much  cliiTiculty  that  I  decided  to  send  part  of 
our  baggage  back  to  Mangwato,  and  this  necessitated  fresh 
sorting,  and  fresh  reductions  in  our  ideas  of  the  "strictly 
necessary."  Our  friend  Mr.  Whiteley  hastened  to  come  liimsclf 
with  a  waggon  and  team  from  Khama.  During  this  time  it 
poured  with  rain,  and  throughout  the  desert  we  have  scarcely 
known  \\'hat  it  was  to  6ufil:r  from  thirst. 

The  sight  of  the  Makari-kari  Desert  somewhat  raised  the 
spirits  of  our  fellow-travellers.  They  felt,  as  we  did,  that  we 
had  made  progress.  And  then,  too,  there  is  something  new 
and  attractive  in  the  wild  panorama  spread  before  our  eyes 
with  its  v/tTj's  ^  a.nd  sands,  its  immense  plains  sprinkled  with 
clumps  of  trees,  and  its  silent,  lifeless  solitudes.  Only  at  rare 
intervals  does  an  ostrich  or  a  fleeing  gazelle  interrupt  the 
monotony  of  the  picture.  Even  the  lion  has  not  deigned  to 
honour  us  with  more  than  his  nocturnal  roarings  :  only  hungry 
hyanas  have  seized  our  donkeys,  and  caused  commotions. 

The  Masaroa,-  children  of  the  desert,  knowing  that  we  had 
people  from  Sl)oshong  with  us,  hid  themselves  at  our  approach. 
They  scarcely  dared  to  come  and  sell  us  a  little  honey.  To 
judge  from  what  we  saw,  the  Bamangwato  treat  them  very 
cavalierl}\  Doubtless  without  the  knowledge  of  their  chief,  they 
rob  them  of  the  little  they  possess,  seize  the  booty  of  their  chase, 
the  wild  fruits  and  herbs,  and  even  the  large  caterpillars  and 
chrysalides  which  these  poor  wretches  look  upon  as  dainties. 
It  is  in  these  plains  that  certain  rivers  lose  themselves:  the 
Nata,  for  example,  which  after  a  short  course  disappears  under 
the  name  of  Sua.  The  soil  of  the  Makari-kari  is  so  soft  our 
waggons  sank  till  we  were  almost  in  despair.  Scarcely  had 
we  emerged  from  these  morasses,  when  we  had  to  work  our 
way  through  those  deep  sands  which  will  always  be  the 
traveller's  nightmare.  It  was  pitiful  to  see  our  poor  oxen,  with 
their  galled  necks,  lolling  out  their  tongues  and  sinking  under 
the  yoke.  It  was  bad  enough  when  we  ploughed  our  way 
through  the  open  country.  But  in  these  literally  impenetrable 
thorn  thickets,  where  it  vv'as  absolutely  impossible  for  the  driver 
to  use  his  long  whip,  the  oxen  had  their  revenge,  and  we  only 
triumphed  at  the  cost  of  shouting  ourselves  hoarse. 

'   Vleys:  a  Dutch  word  applied  to  the  sliallow  lakes  in  the  deserts. 
-'  Name  by  which  the  Bushmen  arc  known  in  the  Zambesi  basin. 


136  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S4 

In  these  virgin  forests,  the  road  has  not  been  traced  by  an 
eno-ineer !     The  first  waggon  threaded  its  way  through  as  best 
it  could,  making  endless  zigzags  to  avoid  the  large  trees,  and 
all  the  others  followed,  ours  last  of  all.     Think  of  getting  round 
all  these  obstacles  with  our  enormous  teams !     Our  poor  Levi 
knows  what  it  is,  by  this  time.     He  was  obliged,  though  much 
against  the  grain,  to  take  his  turn  at  the  whip.     Did  we  propose 
to  do  a  long  stage  of  our  journey  by  night,  or  early  in   the 
morning,  so   surely  did  we   hear   the   cry  of   alarm  behind  us, 
almost  before  we  were  fairly  off, "  Hihu  !  liihii  !    Koloi  e  tsucroe  !  " 
("  The  waggon  has  stopped  !  ").      We  had  to  retrace  our  steps, 
hatchet   in    hand,   asking    ourselves   how   serious    an    accident 
it  was  likely  to  be.     Alas  !  we  would  find  a  box  of  hats  quite 
crushed,  or  a  case  of  haberdashery  in  pieces.     We  would  pick  up 
the  hats  and  reels  of  cotton,  mend  the  torn  bales,  and  start  again. 
Every  one  has  his  share  of  damages.     A  dead  branch  made 
a  hole  in  the  tilt  of  M.  Jeanmairet's  waggon,  and  the  boughs 
swept  out  everything  they  could  reach — books,  a  dressing-box, 
a  case  of  dental  appliances,  etc.     But  no  one  has  been  so  badly 
used  as  our  friend  Waddell.    A  portmanteau,  a  trunk,  and  tool-box 
comprised  all  his  belongings.     The  portmanteau  and  the  trunk 
disappeared  one  after  the  other.     "  At  least  my  chest  of  tools 
has  escaped,"  said  our  young  Scotsman  with  satisfaction.     He 
was   proud   of  this  mahogany  chest,  with  its    ingenious  com- 
partments, the  first  work   of  his    apprenticeship.     It   received 
many  blows  and  fractures,  but  our  carpenter  always  found  some 
way  of  repairing  them.     One  day  a  new  "  HzViu  !  hiJui  !  "  from 
Levi    made    us    run   breathless    to    his  waggon.     The    precious 
chest  was  no  longer  ;  its  splinters  lay  scattered  on  the  ground  ! 
This  time  the  damage  was  irremediable.     Poor  Waddell  !     He 
used  his  hatchet  with  all  his  might  to  disengage  the  rest  of 
his  tools  from  the  trunk  of  a  great  tree.     As  for  ourselves,  we 
could  only  look  on,  sorrowful  and  silent.     Waddell's  face  was 
flushed,  the  tears  starting  to  his  eyes  ;  yet  he  tried   to  smile 
in  spite  of  all.    "  Never  mind,  sir,"  he  said  ;  "  the  chest  is  broken, 
but  the  tools  arc  saved.    Give  me  some  boards  and  time  enough, 
and  you'll   see  if   I    don't   make    something  better."     There   is 
grit  in  a  man  like  that.     It  is  easy  enough  to  give  him  time  ; 
but  where  were  the   boards    to    come   from  ?     They   will  have 
to  be  made  first,  and  no  one  knew  that  better  than  he  did. 


1884]  WADDELL,   AARON,   AND   LEVI  1 37 

In  other  ways,  too,  I  must  say  our  two  artisans  have 
thoroughly  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  expedition.  They 
cheerfully  accept  our  privations  :  they  are  always  happy,  always 
ready  to  make  themselves  useful.  It  is  seldom  that  Waddell 
does  not  find  an  opportunity  of  using  the  saw,  the  hatchet,  or 
the  plane  during  the  halt  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  It  is 
a  pleasure  to  see  him  at  his  work,  for  he  loves  it ;  and  if  no 
accident  demands  the  dexterity  of  his  vigorous  arm,  he  goes 
away,  axe  in  hand,  to  explore  the  forest,  and  returns  with 
specimens  of  wood  of  every  kind  and  colour.  "  There  is 
mahogany,  sir,  real  mahogany,"  he  exclaims,  radiant  with  delight, 
"  and  here  is  teak,  and  a  kind  of  cedar,  and  another  thing  like 
ebony.  If  God  spares  us,  you'll  see  what  good  use  we  shall 
make  of  all  these  treasures."  And  v/hen  we  hear  him  smoothing 
away  all  difficulties,  felling  trees  and  sawing  planks  (actually 
planks  !),  we  already  see  a  cottage  raised  as  if  by  magic,  with 
furniture  all  complete,  which  the  dear  fellow  delights  in 
prophesying  will  make  Mme.  Coillard  quite  forget  the  mission- 
house  at  Leribe !  One  feels  that  Waddell  has  always  been  his 
mother's  boy  ;  he  needs  to  be  surrounded  with  much  affection, 
and  to  find  a  quick  response  to  his  own,  v^/hich  he  gives  back 
unreservedly. 

Our  two  evangelists  Aaron  and  Levi  form  an  admirable 
complement  to  each  other.  Like  all  of  us,  they  have  their  defects 
and  their  good  qualities.  Aaron  is  active,  energetic,  and 
animated,  but  also  sensitive  and  quick-tempered.  Levi  is  an 
intelligent  man  of  a  very  even  disposition,  sober  in  his  speech 
as  in  his  habits.  He  is  better  educated  than  Aaron,  and  one 
soon  discovers  that  he  is  the  son  of  a  Christian  (the  first  in 
Basuto-land),  and  that  he  only  knows  heathenism  by  contact 
or  tradition.  What  he  does,  he  docs  well  ;  but  he  has  not  much 
enterprise.  His  little  addresses  do  us  real  good,  and  I  do  not 
think  I  can  give  you  a  better  idea  of  his  character  than  by 
quoting  part  of  a  letter  he  wrote  me  before  our  departure  : 

"  This  is  to  tell  thee,"  he  says,  "  that  thy  letter  reached  me 
safely.  I  received  it  with  joy.  Yes,  my  father  !  one  who 
is  charged  with  a  mission  like  ours  ought  to  be  worthy  of  the 
greatest  confidence.  If  even  the  chiefs,  who  are  only  men, 
find  obedient  and  faithful  messengers  to  send  into  the  enemy's 
country,  who   am    I,   that   I    should  have  misgivings    when  the 


1 38  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S4 

King  of  kings  sends  me  ?  The  chiefs  send  their  messengers, 
but  they  remain  at  home.  My  King  docs  not  remain  behind. 
He  says,  '  Follow  thou  Me  ! '  Then  He  walks  in  front.  Oh, 
if  only  I  could  bring  myself  to  roll  all  my  burdens  upon  Him  ! 
If  I  but  possessed  the  full  confidence  that  He  would  guide  mc 
and  work  by  me — by  one  who  was  lost  without  hope,  and  only 
became  a  man  by  His  grace  !  O  man  of  God  !  May  the 
journey,  undertaken  in  His  name  alone,  be  blessed  !  My  wife 
and  I  have  consented  to  our  F.ither's  employing  us  in  His  work. 
\Vc  arc  weak,  but  we  hear  Him  say,  '  Yiy  strength  is  made 
perfect  in  your  w^eakness.'  We  have  no  intelligence,  but  we 
are  told  Jesus  has  been  made  our  wisdom  ;  we  are  sinners, 
but  He  has  been  made  our  righteousness.  Who  then  has 
brought  us  forth  that  we  should  thus  be  made  complete  ?  I 
praise  the  mercy  of  God,  I  praise  His  grace,  Who  has  made 
of  vie  a  messenger  of  salvation — of  me.,  I>Iolatlcgi  (lost) ! 
Molatlegi — that  was  the  name  of  my  childhood  ;  it  was  the  name 
of  all  others  that  befitted  me,  for   I   u'as  lost." 

The  wives  of  our  evangelists  contrast  with  one  another 
quite  as  strongly  as  do  their  husbands.  Levi's  wife  is  quite 
young,  and  has  little  experience.  Aaron's  wife,  Ma-Ruthi,  has 
grown  up  in  our  house,  so  our  mutual  affection  is  no  new  thing, 
and  the  grace  of  God  has  already  done  its  work  in  her  heart. 
She  has  the  soul  of  a  missionary.  Every  day  during  our 
journey,  she  taught  her  children  and  Levi's  to  read  and  sing  ; 
and  she  never  loses  an  opportunity  of  speaking  about  the 
Saviour  to  the  heathen  that  she  meets. 

Knowing  us  to  be  in  the  tropics,  no  doubt  you  think  of  us 
as  being  half  roasted.  Make  your  minds  quite  easy  on  that 
score.  It  is  winter-time  here.  The  thermometer,  which  by 
day  rarely  rises  to  68°  Fahr.,  frequently  falls  to  40°  Fahr.,  even 
inside  the  waggon.  Those  only  who  know  how  chilly  the 
natives  are  can  form  a.ny  idea  of  the  trouble  we  have  had  every 
morning  to  stir  up  the  caravan.  Oh,  my  poor  clock  and  the 
bugle  !  How  they  did  hate  them  !  They  did  not  know  how 
I,  through  my  continual  sleepless  hours,  weiglied,  so  to  speak, 
every  minute  of  my  people's  rest,  and  never  sounded  the  horn 
till  the  last  moment.  One  of  the  benefits  of  Sunday  was  that 
the  clock  and  bugle  were  silent,  and  the  poor  fellows  profited 
by  it  to  their  hearts'  content  in  the  intervals  of  our  services. 


1884]  LESHOMA  139 

It  was  on  July  26th  that  we  arrived  at  Leshoma,  the  same 
dite  as  six  years  ago.  We  had  no  intention  of  camping  on 
our  previous  site.  Nevertheless,  leax-iiig  the  waggons  behind,  my 
wife,  my  niece,  cind  I  made  a  loving  pilgrimage  thither.  We 
descended  into  the  valley  ;  then  turning  to  the  left,  we  climbed 
the  well-knov/n  hill,  and  searched  some  time  for  our  former 
camping-ground.  The  clearing,  the  hut,  the  fence,  all  had 
disappeared  in  the  luxuriant  growth  of  bushes  ;  the  ashes  that 
covered  the  ground  were  all  that  remained.  No — I  am  wrong. 
There  is  a  gigantic  mahogany  tree  near  ;  and  its  trunk  still 
bears,  clear  as  on  the  day  it  was  cut  into  its  fibres,  this  simple 
epitaph  : 

KHOSANA 
DIED 

13— IX— ;8. 

That  opens  a  large  chapter  in  our  souvenirs. 

The  deadly  tse-tse  fly,  which  formerly  infested  these  woods, 
has  retired,  following  the  buffalo  in  its  flight  before  the  hunter's 
rifle.  So  we  were  able  to  camp  farther  on,  only  ten  miles  from 
the  Zambesi.  The  site  where  we  have  pitched  our  tents  is 
charming,  and  is  certainly  the  least  unhealthy  we  could  have 
chosen.  It  is  a  sandy  hill,  about  ninety-eight  feet  above  the 
valley,  and  one  thousand  feet  above  sea-level.  Delightfully 
shaded,  yet  not  overcrowded  with  trees,  it  stands  on  the  edge 
of  a  limitless  virgin  forest,  a  splendid  park,  of  uhich  no  one 
has  disturbed  our  enjoyment — not  even  the  lions.  Before  us, 
to  the  west  and  on  the  right,  following  the  valley,  stretch  wooded 
hills,  as  far  as  the  long  blue  line  which  limits  the  horizon.  This 
blue  line,  on  which  our  eyes  fasten  instinctively,  is  Trans- 
Zambesia,  which  is  to  be  our  field  of  labour,  the  second  home 
of  our  adoption.  A  stream,  the  Leshoma,  flows  through,  the 
valley,  loses  itself,  and  reappears,  forming  beautiful  limpid  pools, 
which  promise  us  the  inestimable  luxury  of  baths  at  small  cost. 

One  disadvantage  of  this  phice  (and  no  doubt  we  shall 
find  otiiers)  is  a  fine  black  sand,  which  penetrates  our  garments, 
enters  the  very  pores  of  our  skin,  renders  all  our  measures  for 
cleanliness  terribly  insufficient,  and  threatens  us  with  an  extra- 
ordinary consumption  of  an  article  all  the  more  precious  here 
because  impossible  to  procure — soa/>.     We  must  learn  to  make 


I40  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

it  ourselves  ;  and  our  poor  housekeeper,  on  whom  all  the  care 
falls,  has  already  armed  herself  with  recipes.  For  neighbours, 
we  have  at  two  hundred  paces  from  here  a  trader  named 
Blockley,  and  across  the  valley  some  native  hunters.  The 
establishment  of  the  former  and  the  huts  of  the  latter  fit  into 
the  landscape  very  well. 

Mile.  Coillard  has  soon  found  the  makings  of  a  very 
interesting  school,  among  the  children  of  the  expedition,  and 
the  Zambesi  boys  who  work  for  us.  She  teaches  morning 
and  evening  with  an  energy  all  her  own,  and  with  as  much 
interest  as  at  Leribe. 

Who  can  say  with  what  feelings  of  relief,  joy,  and  gratitude 
we  at  last  outspanned  our  waggons  and  pitched  our  tents  ? 
Yes,  the  journey  has  been  long,  costly,  and  difficult ;  and  its 
chief  legacy  is  an  utter  lassitude,  both  moral  and  physical. 
It  seemed  to  us  sometimes  that  the  springs  had  been  over- 
strained, and  the  very  sources  of  life  dried  up.  But  day  after 
day,  and  in  every  circumstance,  God  has  given  us  the  needed 
measure  of  grace.  All  along  the  way  we  have  found 
sympathisers  among  both  black  and  white,  Boer  as  well  as 
English.  Even  where  enmity  and  obstacles  were  predicted, 
we  have  been  heaped  with  benefits,  and  surrounded  with  interest. 
We  have  had  no  bad  illness,  no  serious  accident,  not  even  trying- 
adventures.  We  saw  the  famine  spectre,  and  dreaded  thirst, 
but  God  provided  for  all  our  needs  and  filled  the  desert  pools 
for  us.  Our  greatest  difficulties  have  been  the  channels  of  the 
most  precious  benedictions.  At  the  Ebenezcr  which  we  raise 
here  to  the  name  of  Him  Who  has  told  all  our  wanderings, 
the  past  inspires  us  with  adoration,  the  present  with  perfect 
confidence.  Guided  by  His  e}'c,  led  by  His  powerful  hand, 
one  step  at  a  time  suffices. 


CHAPTER    XI 

Sesheke  and  Leshoma — Retrospects — A  Heavy  Washing  Day — Arrival  at  the 
Zambesi  Ford — No  Response — Return  to  Leshoma — Explanations — A 
Matabele  Scare — The  Market  at  Leshoma — Mission  Work — Messengers 
to  fetch  Missionaries — Hospitality  at  Sesheke — Start  for  the  Capital — 
Revolution — New  Delay — Ben's  Troubles — Making  Nets — Return  to 
Leshoma — Zambesian  Languages — A  Boy  for  Sale — Departure  of  the 
Basuto— Life  at  Leshoma — M.  Coillard  and  Aaron  to  Sesheke  and  Back 
— Akufuna  chosen  King — Sends  to  fetch  Missionaries — Fever — Darkest 
Africa — Lavishness  of  Traders— Journey  to  Sesheke— Studies  in  Philology 
— A  Direful  Discovery — "The  Chiefs  in  my  Pocket." 

Sesheke,  August  Q)th,  7884. 

SESHEKE !  How  can  I  write  that  name  without  emotion  ! 
Here  my  Master  brought  me  six  years  ago,  and  showed 
me  the  new  field  of  labour  that  we  sought.  Here  He  stopped 
me — His  own  time  was  not  yet  come.  Here  our  dear  Eleazar 
Marathane  ended  his  career,  and  here  he  sleeps.  All  the 
experiences  of  my  first  visit  rush  back  upon  me.  Time  has 
softened  all  that  was  bitter  and  sorrowful  in  them  :  only  the 
blessings  remain  as  sweet  as  ever. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  glancing  forward.  Yet  what  use  is  it  ? 
The  future  is  God's  ;  ours  is  the  present.  The  present !  it  is 
dark.  Our  path  bristles  with  difficulties  ;  I  had  foreseen  them 
indeed,  but  it  was  impossible  to  appreciate  their  gravity.  But 
never  despair!  It  was  when  the  patriarch,  a  fugitive  and  alone, 
rested  his  weary  head  on  a  stone  that  the  Lord  raised  for  him  a 
corner  of  the  veil,  and  in  a  glorious  vision  gave  him  a  glimpse 
of  the  multitudes  who  should  bear  His  name.  "  Be  not  afraid," 
said  the  Lord  to  Paul  in  Corinth,  "  but  speak,  and  hold  not 
thy  peace,  for  I  am  with  thee  .  .  .  for  I  have  inucJi  people  in 
this  city." 

But   let   us   return  to  Leshoma.     Once  we  had  pitched  our 

141 


142  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S4 

camp,  and  sent  our  oxen  to  Gazuma,  two  days'  journey  off,  to 
graze  and  rest,  \vc  felt  we  must  see  the  Zambesi  :  wc  were  too 
impatient  to  wait  any  longer. 

We  left  my  wife  and  niece  to  rid  themselves  as  best  they 
could  of  a  nightmare  which  had  haunted  them  ever  since  leaving 
Mangwato — tJie  zvasJiing !  After  twenty-five  years'  missionary 
life,  Mmc.  Coillard  had  still  to  go  through  this  apprenticeship, 
one  which  she  dreaded,  for  so  far  she  had  never  been  reduced  to 
the  necessity  of  doing  it  herself.  And  think  what  an  accumula- 
tion of  linen  during  our  journey !  The  catechists'  wives,  out 
of  pity  as  much  as  affection,  consented  to  lend  a  hand  ;  but 
evidently  it  is  not  an  aid  on  which  we  can  count.  So  M.  Jean- 
mairet  and  I  left  our  laundresses  at  the  edge  of  a  stream  and 
started,  accompanied  by  some  of  our  party,  lightly  equipped, 
and  somewhat  lightly  provisioned. 

We  followed  the  valley,  which  a  recent  prairie  fire  has  covered 
with  a  dreary  pall.  Two  hours  and  a  half  of  walking,  and  then, 
just  as  we  emerge  from  the  brushwood,  a  wide  ribbon  winding- 
over  the  plain  and  threading  its  way  through  impenetrable 
jungles  appears  before  our  eyes.  It  is  the  Zambesi.  Arrived 
at  the  official  ford  of  Kazungula,  we  announced  ourselves  by 
firing  our  guns,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  the  country. 
No  answer.  We  fired  again  and  again  with  no  more  success. 
We  said  to  each  other  that  with  such  a  strong  wind  blowing  the 
river  was  too  rougii  for  the  canoes  to  cross  without  danger ;  and 
satisfied  with  this  explanation  (quite  gratuitous  on  our  part), 
we  passed  the  rest  of  the  day  hunting  birds,  admiring  the 
majestic  river,  looking  for  hippopotami  and  crocodiles  (which, 
however,  made  themselves  invisible),  and  watching  the  curious 
antics  of  the  king-fishers.  Night  fell,  and  we  tightened  our 
waist-belts,  for  we  had  counted  on  better  entertainment,  and 
protected  ourselves  as  best  we  could  under  a  rough  shelter  of 
reeds,  swarming  with  mice  and  vermin.  The  cold  was  so  intense 
(40""  Fahr.)  that  all,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  sought  the 
garment  of  the  poor — the  fire.  There  was  no  sleep  for  any  of 
us.  Directly  morning  dawned,  we  began  firing  again  ;  but  still 
no  answer.  And  yet  not  the  slightest  breeze  to-day,  not  a  ripple 
on  the  water  ;  it  is  like  a  polished  mirror.  What  does  this 
silence  mean  ?  Tired  of  waiting,  and  by  this  time  half  starved, 
we  folded   up  our  rugs  and  trudged  back  to  Leshoma.     Such 


1884]  THE   ZAMBESI    BANKS  I43 

has  been  our  first  visit  to  the  Zambesi — a  bucket  of  cold  water 
thrown  on  all  our  joyous  anticipations.  But  later  on,  all  was 
explained.  The  ferryman,  Singandu,  not  having  received  any 
orders  about  us,  had  run  to  his  chief  He  was  returning  with 
positive  commands  to  bring  us  over  immediately,  when  the 
rumour  arrived  that  the  Matabelc  were  coming.  Panic  had 
sei/xd  every  one. 

A  few  days  later,  messengers  came  from  Sesheke.  The 
letters  by  which  I  had  announced  to  the  king  our  arrival  first 
at  Shoshong,  and  then  at  Pata-matenga,  had  been  stopped  by 
the  "  lords  of  Sesheke,"  and  were  waiting  there  for  the  "  saluta- 
tion," v/hich  should  have  accompanied  them.  And  I  thought 
they  were  at  the  capital !  What  a  stunning  blow  !  I  positively 
refused  to  give  any  more  presents  till  I  had  seen  the  king. 
Since  then,  I  have  been  told  that  the  chiefs  sent  on  my  letters, 
but  by  a  slave  on  foot,  as  if  it  were  a  matter  of  small  import- 
ance. How  will  the  king  receive  it  ?  When  will  his  answer 
come?  To  fill  up  the  time,  we  organised  an  excursion  to  the 
falls  of  Musi  oa  Tunya  ;  but,  at  the  last  moment,  I  was 
obliged  to  give  it  up,  and  let  our  friend  Jeanmairet  go  with 
Middleton  and  Waddell,  accompanied  by  our  Basuto  and  some 
porters. 

And  we — we  look  northwards  to  the  blue  line  beyond  the 
forests,  till  sight  is  lost  in  the  depths  of  the  immense  perspective. 
And  as  days  go  by,  we  wonder  if  the  horizon  is  not  growing 
darker.  Troops  of  Zambesians  come  to  Leshoma,  but  they 
bring  no  news  ;  they  are  slaves  come  to  barter.  They  bring 
millet,  sorgho,  ground  nuts,  beans,  and  sometimes  a  little  wild 
honey,  all  in  calabashes  of  various  sizes.  Every  calabash  costs 
so  many  strings  of  beads,  or  a  setsiba,  two  long  ells  of  calico, 
which  is  exorbitant.  And  so  it  falls  on  my  dear  wife  to  bargain 
with  these  noisy  and  sometimes  impertinent  gangs :  she  has 
to  answer  quietly,  buy  with  prudence,  and  explain  gently  in 
order  to  send  them  away  satisfied.  It  is  hard  drudgery  ;  and 
Levi  and  Joel,  who  had  at  first  willingly  accepted  the  office  of 
helping  "  their  mother,"  soon  saw  that,  and  backed  out  of  it  one 
after  the  other,  leaving  her  to  manage  alone.  It  is  not  simply 
a  question  of  providing  for  our  evangelists  and  their  families, 
the  drivers  and  native  helpers,  but  also  of  getting  together  the 
necessary  provisions  against  the  return  journey  of  our  men,  who 


144  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S84 

have  come  from  Mangwato  and  Basuto-land,  and  of  laying  up 
in  store  for  the  whole  expedition  against  the  rainy  season.  And 
buying  sixty  sacks  of  corn  in  this  way,  to  speak  of  nothing 
else,  represents  a  formidable  expenditure  of  energy  and  patience 
to  any  one  not  hardened  to  this  petty  haggling  with  beads  and 
bits  of  calico.  But  in  spite  of  weariness  and  sadness  at  such 
waste  of  time,  the  missionary's  wife  never  complains.  Even 
while  longing  for  a  few  days'  respite  she  says  to  herself,  "  It 
is  for  the  Lord."  Yes,  and  "  for  the  Lord "  she  faces  all  her 
other  duties,  and  appears  next  morning  at  the  market  forced 
upon  her,  strengthened  in  secret  for  the  day.  When  the  pur- 
chases come  to  an  end  early,  our  proper  work  begins.  We 
make  these  Zambesians  repeat  a  Bible  text,  and  sing  a  verse 
of  a  hymn,  which  we  explain  to  them.  They  go  away  astonished^ 
and  we  follow  them  in  thought  beyond  the  blue  line  where  we 
would  be. 

One  day  (it  was  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  August  9th),  we 
saw  in  the  valley  a  long  file  of  men  winding  theirvvay  towards 
us.  At  their  head,  we  soon  recognised  Karumba,^  who  had 
returned  to  visit  his  parents.  He  announced  that  the  thirty 
young  men  he  brought  had  been  sent  by  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke 
with  canoes  to  fetch  us.  Here  was  a  ray  of  light  in  our  dark 
sky  !  My  preparations  were  soon  made,  and  I  went  off  without 
any  misgivings.  I  leave  you  to  guess  how  happy  I  was  as  I 
crossed  the  Zambesi.  The  sun  was  just  setting  ;  its  flaming 
disc  was  bathing  itself  in  the  ripples,  and  colouring  them  with 
its  fire  ;  while  the  wooded  banks,  tufted  with  palm  trees,  were 
reflected  as  in  a  mirror.     All  was  peace  and  harmony. 

Next  morning,  when  I  rose,  I  found  the  charm  broken.  My 
boatmen  had  struck,  and  were  noisily  refusing  to  move  till  they 
had  received  setsibas  to  their  liking.  Without  giving  in,  I 
managed  to  calm  them  down,  and  had  a  most  enjoyable  journey 
with  them.  Wc  were  not  pressed  for  time,  so  they  fished  and 
hunted  birds  in  the  jungles,  and  in  the  evening  I  taught  them 
to  sing.  At  our  last  stage,  I  distributed  setsibas  of  red  calico. 
After  a  bath,  they  dressed  themselves  up  in  them,  each  according 
to  his  own  fancy,  and  all  alike  grotesque.  We  were  announced 
by  gunshots ;    and  when    our    little    procession    arrived    at    the 

^  One  of  the  two  Zambesians  whom  M.  Coillard  had  brought  back  from 
the  first  expedition. 


mi 


1884]  A    rOOR   RECEPTION  145 

entrance,  and  went  to  the  Ickhothla,  ij^rcat  and  small  turned  out 
to  salute  us  with,  "  Ltiniela  Moiicrc  !  SJiajig-ivc  !  Shangzve ! " 
("  Hail,  father !  we  are  your  servants  ")} 

You  will  remember  that  Seshcke  is  the  residence  of  twelve 
or  fifteen  chiefs.  In  European  lanL!,uagc,  they  would  be  governors 
or  prefects.  These  are  Barotsi,  promoted  to  the  government  of 
the  numerous  tributary  peoples.  They  assume  the  names  and 
titles  of  their  predecessors,  and  form  a  council,  presided  over 
by  the  principal  chief,  the  Morantsiane.  The  Morantsiane  of 
to-day  is  no  longer  the  old  man  whom  I  knew  and  liked  six 
years  ago,  but  his  son,  besotted  with  beer-drinking  and  hemp- 
smoking.  Even  the  village  is  no  longer  the  same.  It  was 
burnt  down  during  the  war  of  Nguana-wina  ;  and  though  it  has 
been  rebuilt  since,  it  looks  dirty  and  dilapidated.  I  no  longer 
see  those  double  huts,  so  spacious  and  airy— /or  Jiuts,  that  is  to 
say — that  I  admired  there.  Otherwise  it  is  still  Sesheke,  with 
its  dignitaries,  the  Rataii,  the  Mokhele,  the  Katukura,  the 
Nalishua,  etc.  Some  of  these  titles  are  borne  to-day  by  new 
heads  ;  still,  I  find  a  number  of  old  acquaintances  among  them  ; 
and,  to  judge  by  their  demonstrative  salutations,  they  are 
pleased  to  see  me.  When  the  little  official  speeches  were  over 
on  both  sides,  we  talked  together  for  a  long  time.  They  related 
all  that  had  happened  in  their  country  since  our  journey  through 
it.  I  answered  the  questions  they  showered  on  me,  and  talked 
to  them  of  my  travels  and  my  mission.  After  all,  it  is  pleasant 
to  come  to  Seshcke. 

Then  I  was  told  my  baggage  had  been  taken  to  the  hut 
destined  for  me,  so  I  bade  my  friends  good-night,  and  went 
Jiome  to  rest.  But,  at  the  door,  Aaron  and  I  started  back  in 
disgust.  The  hut  and  court  were  no  better  than  a  kennel,  and 
so  filthy  that  no  one  would  even  put  out  a  hand  to  clean  it. 
I  sat  down  on  one  of  my  bales  outside,  intending  to  pass  the 
night  there.  At  last  one  of  my  canoe-men,  touched  v/ith  pity 
fetched  a  poor  little  slave-girl,  whom  he  pushed  into  the  hut  to 
clean  up  the  worst  of  the  dirt,  and  the  next  day  Aaron  and  Ben 
finished  it.  Decidedly,  our  dear  Zambesians  are  not  hospitable. 
We  lay  down  hungry  before  this  uninhabitable  hovel.  Next 
morning,  before  rising,  I  was  assailed  by  a  crowd  of  noisy 
vendors,  and  by  the  principal  chiefs,  who  had  held  a  council 
'  S]ian<^ii'C,  literally  "Sir,"  meaning  "your  humble  ?ervant." 

10 


146  ON    THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

during  the  night,  and  now  brought  me  the  result.  They 
regretted  having  sent  my  letters  by  a  slave,  and  to  repair  this 
(.rror  one  of  them  would  start  immediately  for  the  capital.  I 
urged  them  to  take  me  Vvith  them.  But  there  is  the  law,  which 
bars  our  way  like  the  great  wall  of  China.  No  alternative — 
Vv'e  must  have  patience. 

We  have  set  to  work  to  visit  the  people  in  their  homes, 
and  have  to  submit  as  best  we  can  to  the  assaults  of  these 
insatiable  beggars.  They  will  certainly  contrive  to  rob  us  of 
everything  we  possess  :  they  are  absolutely  shameless.  M.  Jean- 
mairet,  who  has  joined  me,  helps  me  to  gather  the  people  every 
morning  under  the  shade  of  a  great  tree  near  our  dwelling. 
We  tell  them  Bible  stories,  speak  to  them  of  the  Saviour,  and 
make  them  repeat  a  verse  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  We  teach 
them  to  read — that  is,  to  repeat  the  alphabet.  They  look  at  us 
with  astonishment,  and  mimic  exactly  every  movement  they 
see  us  make  ;  they  beat  time  like  us,  speak  in  the  same  tone, 
and  repeat  our  every  word.  Some  lie  down,  others  sit ;  they 
take  snuff,  chatter,  laugh,  and  salute  each  other  by  clapping 
their  hands.  We  tell  them  to  be  quiet  and  behave  properly, 
and  continue  our  work  as  earnestly  as  before.  What  troubles 
us  most  is  the  terrible  rapacity  of  these  people.  How  shall  wc 
get  to  the  Valley,  robbed  as  we  have  been  already  ? 

Meanwhile,  a  messenger  came  from  the  king.  He  was  one 
of  the  sub-chiefs,  and  brought  a  numerous  retinue.  Mr.  Arnot 
having  gone  to  Benguella  with  Silva  Porto  ^  to  seek  medical 
advice,  no  one  had  been  able  to  read  my  letter.  (This  explains 
why  no  measures  were  taken  to  conduct  me  to  Lealuyi  without 
delay.)  The  message  brought  back  by  Mosala  came  to  this  :  If 
the  Jesuits  wrote  the  letter,  the  king  gave  them  permission  to 
fetch  their  baggage  (chiefly  tools  and  merchandise),  which  they 
had  left  in  his  country  last  year,  but  declared  he  would  not  give 
them  any  help,  neither  canoes  nor  men  ;  they  could  come  in 
waggons.  If  the  letter  were  from  me,  Mosala  was  charged  to 
bring  us  to  the  capital  at  once.  But  the  joy  this  gave  us, 
though  keen,  was  shortlived.  The  same  day  the  rumour 
spread  that  the  Matabele  had  crossed  the  Zambesi,  and  there 
was  universal  panic.     The  canoes  which  were  to  have  brought 

'  A  well-known  Portuguese  trader.     See  Serpa  Pinto's  "How  I  Crossed 
Africa,"'  vol,  ii.,  p.  66 


iS84]  THE   SLOUGH   OF   DESPOND  I47 

US  to  the  king  were  sent  laden  with  ivory  to  buy  powder  and 
guns  from  Mr.  Blockley  ;  the  cattle  were  t.iught  to  swim  for 
safety,  and  all  prepared  to  flee.  In  these  circumstances,  what 
shall  we  do  without  canoes  or  rowers  ?  And  to  think  that  I 
have  charged  myself  with  seven  or  eight  cases  of  Mr.  Arnot's, 
to  oblige  liim  !  Ibjw  shall  we  get  back  to  Lcshoma  ?  How 
can  u'e  remain  alone  at  Seshcke  ?  "  My  -oul,  wait  thou  only 
upon  God." 

Sesheke,  September  i\ih. 

Still  at  Sesheke,  the  Slough  of  Despond.  Through  what 
alternatives  of  hope  and  disappointment  we  have  passed  in  a 
few  days  !  At  such  times,  the  Saviour's  presence  is  a  precious 
reality.  Amid  the  chaos  of  our  last  adventures,  it  is  difficult 
for  me  to  take  up  the  thread  of  my  narrative.  Behind  us,  these 
waves  seem  but  small  things,  though  they  made  my  faith  quiver 
like  a  reed  in  a  pool. 

I  was  sa)-ing  th.it  the  canoes  sent  to  fetch  us  went  back  v/ith 
powder  and  guns.  Jeanm.airet  and  I  were  now  only  thinking  of 
leaving.  Unhappily,  the  reports  brought  back  by  the  scouts 
only  tend  to  show  that  tlie  threatened  Matabele  war  is  more  and 
more  imminent.  The  chiefs  have  been  consulting  auguries  and 
casting  lots,  inoculating  themselves  Vv'ith  a  specific  to  render 
themselves  invulnerable,  seeking  out  every  sort  of  charm,  and 
passing  the  rest  of  their  time  in  drinking  and  teaching  their 
cattle  to  swim.  No  one  concerned  himself  about  our  journey. 
In  the  absence  of  the  Morantsiane,  I  gathered  the  old  chiefs, 
and  told  them  we  had  decided  to  leave  on  foot.  They  approved, 
and  promised  us  porters.  On  his  return,  the  Morantsiane  was 
alarmed  at  this  news.  It  was  a  reflection  on  him.  Through 
the  clouds  of  drink  that  obscured  his  brain,  he  came  to  offer  to 
"his  friend"  Jcanmairet  a  calabash  of  honey,  and  to  me  two 
monkey  skins  Then,  growing  bolder,  he  said,  "  Moruti,  you 
will  not  make  this  journey  on  foot,  at  your  age,  and  in  such 
heat  ?  What  would  the  king  say  ?  To-morrow  you  shall  have 
my  canoe." 

We  yielded,  but  several  days  passed,  and  we  were  still  there, 
waiting  for  the  rowers  who  were  "  coming  every  moment."  At 
last  they  arrived.  It  was  Saturday.  Ratali  and  Tahalima 
loaded  our  "  dug-outs,"  prepared  our  seats  with  great  care,  and 


148  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

made  our  rowers  take  a  trial  trip,  before  they  declared  them- 
selves satisfied.  After  a  few  words  of  farewell  to  the  assembled 
crowd,  and  a  prayer  on  the  bank  with  Aaron  and  Josefa,  who 
were  going  on  foot  under  Mosala's  guidance,  Jeanmairet  leapt 
into  his  boat,  I  into  mine,  and  we  pushed  off  into  the  open 
river.  At  this  place,  it  flows  round  an  islet,  making  a  fine  bay. 
We  had  not  been  embarked  five  minutes,  when  our  skiffs  began 
to  fill  with  water  to  an  alarming  extent.  The  two  men  who 
were  baling  could  hardly  keep  them  afloat.  The  danger  became 
more  imminent  every  moment.  It  is  not  in  my  nature  to  turn 
back,  so  I  also  began  to  bale ;  and  we  succeeded,  though  not 
without  difficulty,  in  gaining  the  opposite  bank.  All  my  baggage 
was  wetted — absolutely  soaked.  Nothing  vexed  me  more  than 
the  loss  of  my  medicines  and  three  dozen  photographic  plates. 
Ratali  immediately  sent  a  second  canoe  ;  and  having  dried  our 
baggage,  wc  pressed  on  to  Tahalima's  cattle  farm,  where  we 
passed  a  well-employed  Sunday.  Very  early  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, while  we  were  busily  at  work,  mending  our  canoe  with 
papyrus  and  palm  leaves,  the  lords  of  Sesheke  sent  me  an 
express  messenger  with  an  order  to  return  thither  immediately. 
The  messenger  entreated  me  privately  not  to  hesitate,  telling 
me  that  similar  orders  had  been  sent  to  Aaron  and  even  to 
Makoatsa,  Khama's  envoy.     What  could  have  happened  ? 

Rataii  was  commissioned  to  tell  us.  A  revolution  had 
broken  out  in  the  Valley  ;  and  the  king,  whom  they  wished  to 
assassinate,  had  fled.  This  was  serious  news.  It  seems  the 
chiefs  had  expected  it :  no  doubt  it  was  the  reason  of  their 
delays.  But  what  could  we  do  now?  How  could  we  make 
such  a  long  journey  in  a  country  where  anarchy  prevailed?  If 
even  in  ordinary  times  there  was  so  little  security  from  pillage 
and  rapine,  what  would  it  be  now  with  no  recognised  authority  ? 
And  then,  to  whom  should  we  go  ?  Who  were  the  leaders  of 
the  revolution  ?  And  so  we  had  to  follow  the  counsels  of 
prudence,  and  decide — to  wait !     What  a  hard  lesson  that  is  ! 

It  is  difficult  for  us  to  find  out  the  real  causes  of  the 
revolution.  This  only  is  certain,  that  Robosi  held  the  lives 
of  the  Barotsi  chiefs  very  cheaply.  He  murdered  seven  in  one 
day,  at  a  banquet  to  which  he  had  invited  them.  Lately,  he 
caused  a  respected  chief  and  one  of  the  late  Sepopa's  wives  to 
be  put  to  death.     Then  he  was  taking  measures  to  get   rid  of 


i884]  BEN'S   TROUBLES  I49 

most  of  the  lords  of  Sesheke,  when  his  schemes  were  discovered. 
A  plot  was  hatched,  and  Robosi  only  owed  his  safety  to  his 
coolness  and  flight. 

The  lords  of  Sesheke  could  not  contain  their  delight. 
Every  one  killed  oxen  and  made  beer,  and  for  several  days 
there  was  nothing  but  a  series  of  orgies.  After  10  a.m.,  it  was 
rare  to  find  a  man  sober.  We  had  to  suffer  for  it  in  more  ways 
than  one.  Our  man  Ben  had  made  friends  with  a  chief  named 
Kanyanga.  "  Here  are  my  two  daughters,"  said  this  man  to 
him  ;  "  they  are  your  wives."  Ben  took  this  as  a  joke,  but  not 
so  their  father.  One  day,  Ben  passed  in  front  of  Kanyanga's 
wife  without  clicking  his  tongue,  which  is  their  way  of  saying 
"  Excuse  me."  Kanyanga  was  furious  that  a  son-in-law  should 
thus  fail  in  respect  towards  a  mother-in-law.  He  rushed  straight 
to  our  hut,  entered  and  seized  my  finest  gun,  vociferating  threats 
of  fire  and  murder.  And  this  was  one  of  our  best  friends  !  We 
passed  a  night  of  misery.  Quite  recently,  and  in  broad 
daylight,  this  same  Kanyanga  had  killed  one  of  his  wives 
and  her  brother  for  as  slight  a  cause.  Poor  Ben  !  he  stripped 
himself  to  redeem  my  gun  ;  cloak  (the  cloak  he  was  so  proud 
of!),  rug,  shirt,  calico,  everything  was  given  up  to  satisfy  the 
rapacity  of  this  man  blinded  with  passion.^  You  can  understand 
the  serious  consequences  this  incident  might  have  had  for  us. 
So  I  brought  the  matter  before  the  council  of  the  chiefs,  and 
the  result  of  this  public  investigation  was  to  clear  Ben,  and 
consequently  the  mission,  of  all  blame.  In  spite  of  this,  not  a 
voice  dared  to  raise  itself  in  condemnation  of  Kanyanga's 
conduct. 

The  Barotsi  chiefs,  always  exposed  to  secret  assassination, 
are  naturally  suspicious  and  afraid  of  one  another.     The  sword 

'  Ben,  a  characteristic  specimen  of  one  kind  of  "mission  Kaffir."  A 
Batoka  slave,  he  owed  his  freedom  to  Khama,  at  whose  capital  he  was 
educated  by  the  missionaries,  and  professed  Christianity.  He  developed 
unusual  ability,  and  earns  an  excellent  livelihood  by  acting  as  guide  to 
European  travellers.  At  home,  he  is  a  most  respectable  member  of  society 
and  a  pattern  of  domesticity.  With  his  quondam  employers  he  shows 
himself  full  of  skill  and  resources,  invariably  gay  and  good-tempered, 
generous,  affectionate,  and  even  faithful,  but  quite  free  from  inconvenient 
•■scruples  of  any  kind.  The  fact  that  natives  of  this  stamp  generally  lay 
tiicmselves  out  for  the  service  of  travellers  often  leads  the  latter  to  think  they 
nr  ■  the  only  existing  "  mission  Kaffirs." 


150  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S4 

of  Damocles  always  hangs  over  their  heads ;  and  when 
ambassadors  come  from  the  capital,  no  one  knows  whether, 
besides  the  ostensible  message  they  bring,  they  may  not  have 
a  secret  commission  to  murder  some  one.  Moreover,  when  the 
chiefs  come  to  the  lekliotJda,  they  are  ahvays  accompanied  by  a 
numerous  retinue,  armed,  not  with  assegais,  for  these  are  not 
allowed  in  the  African  forums,  but  with  clubs.  If  they  have 
the  slightest  ground  for  such  suspicions,  they  sleep  outside,  and 
surround  themselves  with  all  kinds  of  precautions.  This  will 
give  you  an  idea  of  the  land  of  cut-throats  to  which  we  are 
bringing  the  Gospel  of  peace. 

In  this  respect,  our  experiences  at  Sesheke  have  been  hard. 
In  relating  the  incident  about  Ben,  I  skirted  an  abyss  of 
Zambesian  paganism,  of  which  the  sight  alone  fills  one  with 
horror.  Our  evangelists  need  a  special  measure  of  God's  grace 
to  preserve  them  in  the  midst  of  the  universal  corruption  which 
flaunts  here  in  broad  daylight,  and  the  shameless  temptations 
with  which  men  and  women  assail  strangers.  I  have  studied 
heathenism  at  close  quarters  in  Basuto-land,  as  am.ong  the  Zulu 
and  among  other  tribes,  and  horrible  it  was.  But  here  it 
surpasses  all  conception.  A  historian,  speaking  of  George  IV., 
has  said  that  if  he  had  been  stripped  of  all  the  waistcoats  in 
which  he  had  a  mania  for  muffling  himself  up,  you  might  have 
searched  in  vain  for  the  i;ian.  I  would  not  say  the  same  of 
the  Zambesians  ;  I  believe  that  under  the  pile  of  all  that  is 
hideous  and  odious  in  paganism  we  shall  find  men,  and  m.en 
whom  we  can  love.  Besides,  we  are  doing  the  work  of  Him 
Who  "  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost,"  "  not  the 
righteous,  bu'  sinners"  :  let  us  not  forget  that. 

Lesuoma,  October  i^ili,   1S84. 

To  divert  our  minds  from  political  matters,  and  turn  the 
interminable  visits  of  my  "  unemployed  "  friends,  the  chiefs,  to 
useful  account,  I  proposed  to  them  that  we  should  make  a  net. 
This  is  the  privileged  work  of  the  chiefs,  and  in  no  way  beneath 
the  dignity  of  a  king.  They  alone  have  the  right  to  fish  with 
a  net  :  the  people  must  content  themselves  with  weirs  of  reeds, 
and  other  equally  primitive  contrivances.  This  gave  me  an 
opportunity  every  day  of  learning  things  myself,  and  of 
evangelising.       Our    conversations    were    sometimes    so    deeply 


1884]  TROGRESS   AT   LESHOMA  151 

interesting  when  we  spoke   of   Nyambc    (God)  that   all   hands 
stopped  work,  and  all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  us. 

Unhappily,  my  friend  Jeanmairct  was  out  of  sorts,  and, 
without  being  confined  to  his  bed,  gave  me  a  gro;it  deal  of 
anxiety.  I  dosed  him  well  with  Dover's  powder  and  quinine, 
and  the  fever  was  checked.  Our  severe  diet  of  sorgho  and 
black  coffee  was  not  of  a  nature  to  restore  either  appetite 
or  strength  to  my  dear  convalescent.  So  we  profited  by  the 
calming  of  the  political  atmosphere  to  return  to  the  camp. 

How  beautiful  Leshoma  is,  on  returning  from  the  burning 
sands  of  Sesheke !  All  is  so  fresh,  so  verdant  here.  It  is 
spring,  and  the  woods  are  putting  on  their  festival  array  of  the 
most  varied  and  luxuriant  tints.  They  only  do  it  once  a  year, 
so  that  we  may  never  weary  of  admiring  them.  Leshoma  is 
a  hive  of  bees.  At  dawn,  the  bell  (for  we  have  a  bell)  calls 
every  one  to  prayer  ;  then  each  goes  to  his  work.  No  one  is 
idle,  Aaron  and  Levi  already  occupy  their  own  cottages  ;  those 
of  M.  Jeanmairet  and  of  our  two  artisans  are  nearly  finished  ; 
our  own  two-roomed  cottage,  the  exclusive  work  of  Waddell 
and  Middleton,  is  also  making  great  progress:  so  that  besides 
our  tents  (which  the  heat  makes  so  unbearable  that  we  must 
put  them  by  for  other  campings),  quite  a  rustic  hamlet  is  being 
raised.  These  shelters  of  stakes  and  grass  are  a  sanitary- 
measure  ;  and  scanty  as  they  are,  they  seem  to  us,  after  our 
gipsy  life  of  nine  months,  to  be  everything  we  can  wish  for 
in  the  way  of  luxury  and  comfort  in  our  present  circumstances. 
The  whole  will  cost  but  little.  Besides,  vv-e  count  on  Leshoma's 
being  the  headquarters  and  sanatorium  of  our  mission  for  a 
long  time  to  come. 

I  have  brouglit  back  deep  impressions  from  Sesheke.  The 
more  closely  we  see  the  work  before  us,  the  greater  seem  its 
proportions.  After  my  arrival,  I  set  myself  to  study  the 
Serotsi  tongue.  r>ut  I  soon  discovered  th.at  this  language  is 
only  understood  by  a  very  limited  number  of  people,  principally 
chiefs.  It  is  the  same  with  other  dialects.  Only  the  Setol^a 
appears  to  be  of  any  importance,  and  recommends  itself 
necessarily  to  our  study.  The  language  of  the  country  within 
three  hundred  miles  of  tlie  Victoria  Falls  in  eitlier  direction 
IS  Sesuto.  All  the  tribes  of  serfs  understand  it  :  they  speak 
it  ratiier   as  the  peasants  at   home  speak    h^rench  :  it  makes  us 


152  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

laugh  sometimes.  But  they  quite  understand  good  classical 
Sesuto.  I  knew  this  already,  and  yet  it  is  always  striking  me 
more  and  more  forcibly. 

There  is  one  social  question  I  have  never  yet  fathomed  ; 
it  is  more  complicated  than  I  thought  at  first :  it  is  the  question 
of  slavery.  According  to  Serpa  Pinto,  it  is  one  of  the  fruits 
of  the  commerce  between  the  Portuguese  and  the  Barotsi.  I 
do  not  know  if  this  be  the  case.  But  one  always  experiences 
a  strange  shudder  on  first  seeing  this  horrible  sore  with  one's 
own  eyes.  At  Sesheke,  I  was  offered  a  child  of  eight  or  nine 
years.  They  wanted  in  exchange  a  gun  worth  £6.  I  could  have 
had  him  for  less.  The  other  day  again  I  received  the  following 
note  : 

"  Dear  Mr.  Coillard, — Here  is  a  little  boy  offered  for  sale. 
If  you  want  him,  you  can  have  him,  for  I  have  enough  of  them. 
His  price  is,  a  hat,  a  waistcoat,  two  or  three  handkerchiefs,  and 
.some  beads.  If  you  would  like  to  have  him,  tell  me,  and  I  will 
send  him  to  you.     He  is  the  same  size  as  my  little  Jonas." 

I  had  the  boy  brought.  He  was  about  twelve  years  old, 
and  had  been  torn  from  his  parents  and  his  home  during  one 
of  the  raids  made  by  the  Barotsi  on  the  Mashukulumboe. 
His  beautiful  eyes  and  ivory  teeth  were  thrown  into  relief  by 
his  ebony  face.  His  hair  was  thicker  and  less  woolly  than 
that  of  the  people  here.  His  back  was  all  scarred  with  the 
blows  he  had  received.  The  man  who  wanted  to  sell  him 
praised  his  good  qualities:  he  was  well  built  and  robust;  ht 
was  a  good  herd-boy,  and  he  would  certainly  make  an  excellent 
.servant. 

My  wife  could  not  turn  her  eyes  away  from  the  poor  child. 
Her  heart  was  moved.  The  slave-trader  perceived  this,  and 
took  advantage  of  it.  He  pushed  the  child  roughly.  "  Tell 
the  lady  you  like  her  very  much,"  he  said.  "  Madam,  I  like 
you  very  much,  and  I  should  so  like  to  stay  with  you,"  said 
the  poor  little  slave,  fixing  his  melancholy  eyes  upon  her  with 
a  supplicating  look.  We  had  to  put  an  end  to  this  pitiful 
scene.  A  hat,  a  waistcoat,  calico,  and  beads — the  price  of  a 
human  being  for  whose  ransom  the  Son  of  God  shed  His  own 
blood  !     If  we   had  only  consulted  our  feelings,  we  should  not 


1884]  A   SLAVE   FOR   SALE  153 

have  hesitated ;  but  to  open  a  new  slave-market,  that  was 
impossible.  The  slave-dealer,  who  had  been  sent  by  a  chief  of 
Sesheke,  was  displeased,  and  went  away  at  once,  very  angry 
with  the  little  Moshukulumboe.  We  followed  him  with  our 
cyes,  poor  child  !  across  the  valley  till  he  disappeared  into 
the  woods  with  his  cruel  guardians.  What  would  they  do 
with  him  ? 

There  was  a  great  surprise  for  us  on  our  return  from 
Sesheke — the  post !  Yes,  the  post,  which  we  had  not  received 
for  over  five  months.  Even  I,  hardened  old  African  as  I  am, 
felt  my  heart  beat  quicker  on  opening  a  packet  of  some  sixty 
letters.  No  newspapers,  for  the  obliging  trader  who  acted  as 
our  postman  had  left  Mangwato  on  horseback  to  rejoin  the 
waggons,  and  had  not  been  able  to  burden  himself  with  a  bag 
full  of  gazettes  and  reviews.  So  we  must  postpone  hearing 
news  of  the  external  world,  political,  religious,  and  literary. 
Besides,  we  must  not  complain,  for  our  friends  have  supple- 
mented them  most  carefully.  No  bad  tidings  have  come  to 
sadden  us,  not  even  any  bills  to  pay.  If  only  I  had  sixty  pens 
at  my  disposal  to  tell  all  these  friends  at  once  the  good  they 
have  done  us  !  A  letter  from  Europe  is  at  a  premium  when 
it  reaches  the  Zambesi.  We  turn  it  this  way  and  that,  we 
examine  the  stamps  and  read,  then  we  put  it  carefully  on  one 
side  to  read  it  again  at  our  leisure.  It  is  a  tete-a-tcte  that  we 
promise  ourselves  with  such  and  such  a  friend.  Unfortunately, 
the  post  goes  out  again  in  a  few  days,  so  all  our  letters  must  be 
written  at  once.  Our  friends  must  not  be  too  exacting  with 
us  :  they  must  be  good  enough  to  take  their  share  of  this  long 
letter,  in  writing  which  so  many  names  present  themselves  to 
my  pen.  When  shall  we  get  the  next  post  ?  And  later  on, 
how  many  times  in  the  year  ?  Once,  or  twice  ?  I  do  not  know. 
But  write  to  us  all  the  same,  dear  friends  ;  write  to  us  all  the 
more.  You  pray  for  us,  you  work  with  us,  you  have  an  affection 
for  us  ;  but  we  want  you  to  tell  us  so.  We  place  the  Barotsi 
Mission  on  your  hearts.  Remember,  we  are  on  the  threshold 
of  the  interior ;  before  us  stretches  a  field  which  only  your 
resources  and  your  zeal  will  limit.  Meantime,  we  are  happy 
and  united.  Although  wc  are  at  the  Zambesi  with  our  Master, 
we  are  not  mart\'rs  yet ! 


154  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

October  Y^th. 

Our  Basuto  left  the  day  before  yesterday,  with  the  people 
returning  to  Mangvvato.  The  Zambesians,  who  are  uncomfort- 
able at  home,  and  who  have  heard  from  some  privileged  persons 
like  Karumba  and  Seajika  that  the  world  does  not  precisely 
end  at  tlie  river,  nor  even  at  Pata-matenga,  are  devoured  by 
the  desire  to  emerge  from  their  shell,  and  see  what  happens 
outside  of  it.  Vve  had  to  be  very  firm,,  almost  harsh,  to  prevent 
a  legion  of  young  men  from  joining  their  little  caravan,  in  the 
capacity  of  vampires.  But  I  am  .'ifraid  a  good  number  have 
taken  short  cuts,  to  reach  the  waggons  farther  on.  The  same 
day,  about  fifty  young  men  arrived,  sent  by  the  lords  of  Sesheke 
to  fetch  us.  A  new  king  has  been  elected  —  ?>IaTna.  An  embassy 
is  on  the  way  to  Se.sheke  to  send  for  the  chiefs.  A  messenger 
went  in  advance,  so  that  they  might  p/cpare  without  delay  to 
go  and  render  homage  to  the  ncv/  sovereign.  Hence  the 
canoes  and  this  tribe  of  rowers  that  they  send  us.  Unfor- 
tunately, it  is  summer  ;  rainy  weather  has  set  in ;  we  have 
constant  storms,  and  pass  rapidly  through  great  alternations 
of  temperature.  The  beautiful  winter  season  has  passed.  It 
is  not  exactly  an  attractive  programme  to  make  this  long 
journey  of  two  months  under  such  variations  of  heat  and  rain, 
in  canoes  which  are  always  leaking,  and  we  thought  it  would 
be  better  not  to  expose  M.  Jeanmairet  to  such  a  trying  journey, 
and,  humanly  speaking,  to  certain  fever.  So  I  shall  go  alone 
with  Aaron,  our  evangelist.  We  hope  to  start  to-morrow. 
It  is  not  fever  I  fear  in  this  journey,  nor  the  difficulties, 
but  the  rapacity  of  these  poor  Zambesians,  who  consider  it 
nothing  out  of  the  way  to  deposit  you  upon  an  islet,  till  they 
have  extorted  plenty  of  presents  from  you.  We  need  to  keep 
close  to  the  Saviour,  and  draw  love  and  patience  from  Him. 

LE3H0MA,  December  \si,  1884. 

At  the  date  of  my  last  letter,  I  was  sending  away  our 
Bamangwato  and  Basuto  drivers,  and  was  starting  again,  rather 
hurriedly,  for  Sesheke.  From  all  appearances,  I  ought  by  this 
time  to  have  been  at  Lealuyi.  This  is  just  a  specimen  of  the 
hopes  and  disappointments  of  which  we  have  perpetually  been 
the  playthings  since  our  arrival  here.  We  must  not  yield  to 
the  tem.ptation  of  dwelling  only  on  the  dark  side  of  things.     We 


iS84]  A    HEDGE   SCHOOL  155 

have  not  been  made  to  slay  in  the  sylvan  solitudes  of  Leshoma 
to  take  root  here,  though  no  doubt  we  thought  we  should  have 
been  much  better  placed  and  much  more  useful  beyond  the  river 
in  full  active  service,  than  reduced  to  the  passive  service  of 
simply  sitting  under  our  gourd  to  \\ait. 

At  Leshoma,  the  days  follow  each  other  without  much 
change.  Only  our  constant  activity  makes  them  pass  quickly, 
and  breaks  their  monotony.  We  Iiave  folded  up  our  tents,  and 
in  their  place  huts  have  been  built,  which,  though  simple,  afford 
us  undreamt- of  comfort.  Our  establishment,  now  three  months 
old,  astonishes  every  one,  and  represents  as  many  years  of 
labour  in  Basuto-land,  where  the  building  materials  are  lack- 
ing. Middleton  and  "Waddell  have  tried  to  make  a  saw-pit. 
M.  Jeanmairct  has  thrown  off  his  coat,  and  begun  his  apprentice- 
ship. Such  a  good  example  has  inspired  Aaron  to  follow  it. 
Unfortunate!}',  our  saw  is  too  thin,  and  the  wooden  frame  too 
weak  ;  and  poor  Waddell  has  been  racking  his  brains  to  try 
and  make  planks  a  foot  wide  with  a  saw  designed  for  quite 
a  different  purpo;:e.  Perhaps  one  day  we  shall  have  a  circular 
saw  turned  bj'  the  waters  of  the  Zambesi.  What  a  dream  ! 
Alas  !  the  making  of  planks  is  a  nightmare  which  has  never 
ceased  to  haunt  my  mind  since  we  first  spoke  of  the  Mission  to 
the  Zambesi. 

My  niece's  school  has  been  enriched  by  some  Masaroa 
children.  But  it  is  only  with  great  difficulty  that  we  have 
brought  them  to  it.  "  Just  think,"  said  the  half-caste  wife  of 
a  hunter,  "  that  little  girl  always  v/ants  to  accompany  me  when 
I  go  to  hear  ti;e  preaching  !  What  has  a  Mosaroa  to  do  with 
the  things  of  God  ?  As  if  He  troubled  Himself  about  these 
Bushmen  !  "  These  poor  children  were  perfectly  delighted  when 
they  were  allowed  to  come  to  school ;  but  Mile.  Coillard  had 
a  great  deal  of  trouble  at  first  in  making  them  sit  down  with  the 
others,  and  submit  to  tlie  same  discipline,  easy  as  it  was.  The 
first  visit  of  all  the  Zambesians  who  come,  slaves  and  chiefs, 
is  to  "  Missi's  school."  M.  Jeanmairet,  who  works  hard  with 
her  at  the  evening  class,  is  learning  to  cast  his  bread  upon  the 
waters.  Many  young  men  onl}'-  remain  a  month,  and  then 
return  home.  They  have  learnt  a  few  letters  of  the  alphabet, 
a  hymn  perhaps,  and  a  verse  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  the}' 
go  away,  app^arently  to  forget  everything;  while  our  friend  begins 


156  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

all  over  again  with  others,  probably  with  the  same  result.  It 
is  schooling  for  him  too. 

The  post  will  always  be  an  event  at  the  Zambesi.  The  very 
evening  before  I,  left,  two  messengers  came  from  Pata-matenga, 
bringing  us  a  great  packet  of  letters,  which  a  trader  had  been 
so  obliging  as  to  bring  from  Mangwato  ;  and  what  was  more, 
the  good  man  added  that  he  still  had  "  a  whole  bag  of  news- 
papers and  a  pile  of  letters  for  us,  with  which  he  had  not  been 
able  to  load  the  porters."  How  tantalising  !  But  never  mind  ; 
we  shall  enjoy  what  we  have.  Adieu,  dinner  !  Adieu,  sleep  ! 
The  silent  hours  of  the  night  fly  by  while  we  listen  to  the  news ! 

Thus  cheered  up,  Aaron  and  I  started  for  Sesheke.  The 
crossing  this  time  was  as  disagreeable  as  possible.  I  was  so 
tired,  I  could  not  keep  awake :  it  rained,  and  the  wind  blew, 
in  the  intervals  of  burning  sunshine.  The  river  was  as  beautiful 
as  ever,  but  "  wrathful,"  and  we  did  not  cleave  its  troubled 
waters  with  impunity  ;  they  revenged  themselves  by  breaking 
over  us.  We  spent  the  whole  day  huddled  up  with  our  feet 
in  the  water  ;  and  when,  in  the  evening,  we  undid  our  rugs, 
we  found  them,  alas  !  perfectly  soaked.  It  is  nothing  short  of 
a  miracle  that  we  did  not  take  fever. 

At  last  we  reached  Sesheke.  The  village  was  silent  and 
deserted :  there  were  no  longer  children  playing  noisily,  no 
more  busy  slaves,  women  building  huts,  and  chiefs  discussing 
business  in  the  khothla^  or  round  pots  of  beer.  Grass  was 
growing  in  all  the  courts.  The  Morantsiane  was  alone,  with  a 
few  other  persons  and  some  slaves.     What  had  happened  ? 

A  few  minutes'  conversation  explained  all.  When  the  lords 
of  Sesheke  sent  us  their  canoes,  they  were  awaiting  messengers 
from  Lealuyi,  whom  they  knew  to  be  on  the  road,  and  expected 
every  moment ;  they  were  hoping  that  on  my  arrival  we  could 
all  go  together  to  the  capital.  Not  only  did  the  messengers 
fail  to  arrive,  but  sinister  rumours  were  spread  on  the  subject 
of  their  acts  and  deeds.  It  was  whispered  that  these  men 
were  secretly  charged  with  a  mission  of  murder  ;  the  intended 
victims  even  were  pointed  out  ;  it  was  known  that  on  the  way 
they  had  put  to  death  one  of  the  chiefs  of  their  own  band.  We 
were  assured    that    several   important   persons   had   shared   the 

'  Khothla  and  Ickhotlila  are  nearly  synonymous,  meaning  court  of  justice. 
Khothla  refers  rather  to  W\^placc^  IckhotJda  to  the  court  in  session. 


i884]  AARON'S   ADVENTURE  157 

same  fate,  and  that  even  Makoatsa,  Khama's  ambassador,  who 
had  been  goiny;  to  the  capital  on  foot  with  his  suite,  had  been 
first  robbed  and  then  ruthlessly  murdered.  Terror  had  seized 
on  everybody  ;  and  they  had  all,  under  one  pretext  or  another, 
taken  their  household  goods  and  fled  into  the  woods  and  fields, 
thence  to  watch  the  course  of  events. 

At  our  arrival,  Ratali,  Tahalima,  and  others  ventured  out  to 
see  us,  surrounding  themselves  with  all  kinds  of  precautions. 
We  held  a  council,  and  at  the  first  glance  were  able  to  judge 
of  the  situation.  It  was  out  of  the  question  for  any  of  the  chiefs 
to  conduct  us  in  person  to  the  Valley  ;  all  declared  themselves 
incapable  of  giving  us  the  slightest  protection,  of  which  fact 
we  were  even  more  strongly  convinced  than  they.  Besides, 
although  they  put  rowers  and  canoes  at  our  service,  our  journey 
under  the  existing  circumstances  was  an  impossibility.  The 
time  had  not  yet  come.  And  for  Aaron  and  myself  to  remain 
alone  in  the  deserted  village  was  likewise  impossible.  So  we 
had  no  alternative  but  to  return  to  Leshoma.  What  I  regret 
is  not  our  trouble,  but  the  setsibas,  measured  by  arm's  length, 
which  we  must  distribute  to  the  rowers.  In  spite  of  this,  we 
have  brought  back  pleasant  impressions  from  Sesheke.  Every 
time  we  see  the  chiefs,  it  seems  to  us  that  we  have  gained 
more  of  their  confidence.  They  are  more  communicative,  more 
thoughtful  for  our  comfort,  somewhat  more  hospitable,  and, 
above  all,  less  grasping. 

A  little  incident  closed  this  journey  of  a  week.  When  we 
came  to  the  rapids  of  Mambova  and  Mpalira,  Aaron,  who  is  not 
very  fond  of  travelling  by  canoe,  wished  to  take  a  short  cut  on 
foot,  with  his  gun  on  his  shoulder,  accompanied  by  Karumba. 
I  descended  the  rapids  in  the  canoe.  When  we  came  to  the 
meeting-place,  I  searched,  but  i\aron  was  not  to  be  found.  1 
left  a  canoe  for  him,  passed  on,  to  wait  for  him  at  the  Kazungula 
ford,  five  miles  farther  on.  Judge  of  my  astonishment,  an  hour 
hter,  to  see  the  boat  arrive  without  Aaron  !  The  canoe-men 
assured  me  that  they  had  searched,  shouted,  and  waited  for 
him  a  long  time  in  vain.  I  made  them  cross  the  river  and  go 
back  on  foot  to  meet  him.  It  was  the  middle  of  the  day, 
and  suddenly  one  of  those  storms  came  on  such  as  one  onl)- 
sees  in  the  tropics.  The  flashes  of  lightning  blinded  us,  the 
thunder  rolled  from  hill  to  hill,  and  the  rain  beat  down  with 


158  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

extraordinary  violence.  The  crystal  surface  of  the  river  was 
broken  up  ;  the  waves  rose  like  those  of  the  sea,  swept  up 
and  tormented  by  the  wind,  which  drove  them  along,  while  the 
great  raindrops  riddled  them  like  shot.  The  spectacle  was  a 
new  and  wonderful  one  for  me.  But  my  baggage !  I  had 
huddled  myself  up  under  a  deceitful  mackintosh,  which  absorbed 
water  like  a  sponge — I  have  never  yet  found  one  which  would 
resist  the  African  climate.  Suddenly  I  felt  something  fall  on 
my  head.  It  was  a  mat,  which  a  kind-hearted  boy  was  depriving 
him.self  of,  to  cover  me.  True,  he  had  not  much  clothing  to  get 
wet !  But  all  the  same,  this  kind  deed  gave  me  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure. 

Two  o'clock  !  Three  o'clock  !  Four  !  Five  !  It  was  still 
raining  ;  the  sun  was  going  down  ;  it  was  equally  impossible  to 
go  to  Lcshoma  or  to  build  a  shelter  for  the  rapidly  approaching 
night.  And  Aaron,  where  was  he?  In  the  dusk,  we  discovered 
an  abandoned  shelter  of  branches.  All  at  once,  Aaron  appeared 
on  the  opposite  bank  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  wind  went  down,  he 
crossed  and  rejoined  me.  Poor  fellow  !  it  seems  that  when  he 
reached  the  rendezvous  he  could  not  find  us  ;  and  no  one  having 
seen  us  pass,  he  thought  we  must  have  been  wrecked  in  the 
rapids  ;  so  the  poor  man  returned  with  Karumba  to  Mambova, 
following  the  banks,  questioning  the  passers-by  in  vain,  and 
searching  for  the  fragments  of  our  canoes  with  an  anxiety 
better  imagined  than  described. 

Leshoma,  December  (jih,  1884. 
The  moment  we  have  so  long  waited  for  has  at  last  arrived. 
A  new  king,  Akufuna,  has  been  elected.  He  is  a  young  man 
who  has  grown  up  in  exile,  and  has  been  obliged  to  act  prudently 
at  first,  and  to  initiate  himself  into  the  duties  of  his  position. 
As  soon  as  he  felt  himself  thoroughly  settled,  he  thought  of 
us.  He  wishes  to  see  us  even  before  the  lesser  chiefs  of  the 
country,  hoping,  he  says,  that  we  may  be  able  to  give  him  good 
advice,  to  guide  him  in  the  exercise  of  the  power  confided  to 
him.  Two  bands  of  messengers  have  arrived  at  Sesheke,  each 
with  more  pressing  messages  than  the  last.  The  chiefs  of 
Sesheke  have  sent  them  on  to  us,  without  losing  any  time,  and 
tliree  of  them  have  come  down  by  canoe  to  wait  for  us  at  the 
ford    of   Ka7,ungula.     They    have    sent    twenty    young    men   to 


1884]  STARTING   FOR   THE   CAPITAL  1 59 

carry  our  bagx^a^^o.  Ikit  the  honour  was  too  great !  I  was 
frightened  at  the  thought  of  the  setsibas,  so  I  bade  them  a 
friendly  farewell  !  I  shall  put  our  packages  on  the  backs  of 
our  donkeys  :  it  will  be  humbler  and  more  economical.  We 
do  not  wish  to  expose  more  men  than  we  can  help,  so 
M.  Jeanmairet  and  Levi  will  remain  at  Leshoma.  Aaron,  and 
Middlcton  at  his  own  request,  will  go  with  m.c.  We  need  not 
assure  our  friends  that  we  will  be  prudent  and  take  every 
precaution,  so  do  not  fear. 

Oh,  if  you  could  only  know  what  one  feels  on  finding  one- 
self on  the  threshold  of  this  Central  Africa,  v/here  the  least  ray 
of  the  Gospel  has  not  penetrated  !  If  those  friends  who  blame 
our  imprudence  could  see  from  afar  what  we  see,  and  feel 
what  we  feci,  they  would  be  the  first  to  wonder  that  those 
redeemed  by  Christ  should  be  so  backward  in  devotion,  and 
know  so  little  of  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice.  They  would  be 
ashamed  of  the  hesitations  that  hinder  us.  These  innumerable 
tribes,  of  which  the  Barotsi  is  only  the  first  on  our  way,  are 
sitting  in  the  shadow  of  death  :  they  perish  as  pagans  amid 
horrible  and  bloody  superstitions,  while  we  have  the  Light  and 
Life  which  we  owe  it  to  them  to  impart.  We  must  remember 
that  it  v/as  not  by  interceding  for  the  vv^orld  in  glory  that  Jesus 
saved  it.  He  gcivc  Hi'iiisclf.  Our  prayers  for  the  evangelisation 
of  the  world  are  but  a  bitter  irony  so  long  as  we  only  give  of 
our  superfluity,  and  draw  back  before  the  sacrifice  of  ourselves  ! 

Leshoma,  December  loth,  1884. 
The  sun  touches  the  horizon.  A  few  hours  ago,  we  were 
all  activity,  finishing  our  packing  and  loading  our  donkeys — 
rather  a  difficult  task,  as  we  have  only  two  pack-saddles,  and 
our  donkeys  are  so  small  that  we  can  put  but  very  little  on 
their  backs.  I  have  sent  Middleton  and  Aaron  on  with  our 
baggage  :  they  will  camp  at  Kazungula,  and  communicate  with 
the  chiefs  who  are  to  conduct  us  to  Sesheke.  This  allows  me 
to  remain  here  till  the  last  moment.  These  last  days  have 
been  a  time  of  visitation.  Most  of  the  mem.bers  of  the 
expedition  have  had  fever.  During  three  days  my  dear  wife 
gave  us  much  anxiety.  I  did  not  know  what  turn  her  illness 
would  take.  And  message  after  message  kept  coming  for  us 
from    the   river,   where    the  chiefs   were   waiting  for  us.     J'oc>r 


l60  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

people  !  they  could  not  understand  that  the  illness  of  a  woman 
could  interfere  with  my  departure,  when  it  was  "  the  king, 
tJie  king  himself"  who  was  calling  me.  At  last  the  chiefs, 
Rataii,  Tahalima,  and  others,  came  themselves  to  see  us.  It 
was  an  act  of  great  courage,  for  they  never  venture  on  this 
side  of  the  river,  where  they  always  fear  the  Matabele,  and 
now  Robosi,  who,  they  say,  is  somewhere  about  the  Quando 
River.  It  was  a  civility  for  which  we  were  much  obliged  to 
them,  and  they  showed  a  sympathy,  too,  which  gave  us  pleasure. 
So  far  from  importuning  us,  they  showed  us  the  greatest 
deference.  "  Do  not  think  we  have  come  to  worry  or 
interfere  with  you.  Our  mother  is  ill,  and  it  is  she  whom  we 
have  come  to  visit.  Take  care  of  her,  and  when  you  are 
ready  to  go,  you  will  find  people  and  canoes  waiting  for  you 
at  the  ford."     Happily,  my  wife  is  better. 

Are  you  not  astonished  to  see  how  the  enemy  impedes 
our  every  step,  and  contests  every  inch  of  the  road?  He 
is  not  yet  at  the  end  of  his  resources.  The  hindrances  which 
postponed  our  departure  from  Leribe  have  been  renewed  under 
other  forms  at  Pretoria  and  Mangwato.  Now  we  have  passed 
four  long  months  of  waiting  and  hoping  and  disappointments  at 
Leshoma,  and  at  the  last  moment  illness  came  and  caused 
fresh  delays.  I  suppose  these  are  not  the  last  trials  which 
will  assail  our  faith  before  we  are  definitely  settled  among  the 
Barotsi.     But  to  doubt  would  be  zmworthy. 

It  is  a  bad  season,  and  God  has  permitted  this  journey 
to  be  robbed  of  everything  that  could  make  it  attractive  ;  no 
doubt,  in  order  that  we  might  judge  more  calmly,  both  of  men 
and  things.  Our  delays  have  already  had  this  advantage, 
that  we  have  been  able  to  make  close  acquaintance  with  the 
chiefs  of  these  parts.  This  can  only  be  to  the  advantage  of 
our  mission.  They  are  so  many  friends  for  us.  I  should 
astonish  you  if  I  confided  one  of  my  cares  to  you.  I  am 
going  to  Lealuyi  like  a  bird  that  every  one  tries  to  pluck, 
in  spite  of  the  pecks  and  scratches  they  will  certainly  get. 
In  what  sort  of  state  shall  I  return?  God  only  knows!  That 
is  very  much  of  the  earth,  earthy,  is  it  not?  But  how  can  I 
help  it  ?  The  traders,  with  the  sole  object  of  gaining  a 
monopoly  of  the  ivory  trade,  have  scattered  their  presents 
lavishly.      Now,   in   spite    of  so   many   ruinous   sacrifices,   the 


1884]  MAHAHA  161 

monopoly  threatens  to  escape  them,  but  the  education  they 
have  given  the  tribe  is  bearing  bitter  fruit.  We  cannot  expect 
the  Barotsi  to  understand  our  mission  and  make  a  difference 
between  us  and  the  traders.  And  as  we  absolutely  cannot 
imitate  their  extravagant  liberality,  we  are  looked  on  somewhat 
disdainfully.  To  establish  our  position  here,  we  have  to  destroy 
an  entire  education  which  has  already  borne  seed,  and  to 
struggle  against  the  trend  of  public  opinion  ;  and  it  will  be 
hard  work  at  first. 

Sesheke,  December  \^th,  1884. 
And  so  I  have  left  my  own  people.  My  dear  wife  showed 
herself  equal  to  the  circumstances.  I  should  have  left  a  week 
sooner,  only  she  fell  ill.  "To-morrow  I  shall  be  better,"  she 
said,  "and  you  can  go.  I  will  never  be  in  your  way,  when 
God  opens  the  door  and  calls  you."  So  there  was  a  rainbow 
over  our  separation,  for  He  had  answered  our  prayers.  Dear 
Jeanmairet  accompanied  me  part  of  the  way,  and  then,  as  Serpa 
Pinto  has  jokingly  represented  me  in  Europe,  I  continued  my 
way  alone  with  a  Zambesian,  "  my  stick  in  my  hand."  Aaron 
had  taken  my  gun.  They  were  all  ready  for  me  ;  but  the  wind 
blew  so  hard  that  we  had  to  wait  till  evening,  and  even  then 
we  were  not  quite  free  from  danger  as  we  crouched  down  in 
our  pirogues.  We  passed  the  night  with  one  of  the  two  chiefs 
who  were  to  conduct  us  to  Sesheke.  I  was  struck  by  the 
respectful  and  considerate  manner  of  the  other.  Every  time 
I  looked  at  him,  I  found  his  eyes  fixed  on  me  ;  he  listened  to 
all  I  had  to  say  with  remarkable  interest.  He  was  Mahaha, 
a  petty  chief,  whom  my  wife  and  I  and  the  catechists  had  met 
on  an  islet  six  years  before.^  The  good  man  had  received  us 
with  the  greatest  cordiality,  and  was  so  desirous  to  hear  about 
the  things  of  God,  that  immediately  after  the  customary  saluta- 
tion he  demanded,  "  Sing  to  us  about  Jesus."  And  we  sang 
together  the  hymn  we  used  then  to  sing  at  every  stage  : 

A  7-e  bhieleng  Yesu,  (Sing  the  praises  of  Jesus, 

Hoba  ke  eena  Moloki.  He  alone  is  our  Saviour.) 

The  impressions  of  our  visit  and  our  singing  have  not  passed 

'  See  page  56.     Mahaha  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  Mathaha,  a  rebel 
chid  afterwards  killed. 

II 


l62  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1SS4 

away,  it  seems ;  and  Mahaha,  reminding  me  of  every  little 
incident,  added,  with  his  face  radiant  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  mine, 
"  Yesti  has  blessed  us  !  We  have  had  plentiful  rain  and  splendid 
harvests.  We  have  had  maize  so  high,  so  big "  (making  a 
significant  gesture  with  the  hand).  "Such  millet!  We  have  never 
seen  anything  like  it ! "  Directly  he  had  heard  of  our  arrival 
at  Leshoma  this  year,  he  had  made  haste  to  send  a  boy  to  help 
us  in  our  labour  of  settling  down,  and  during  my  absences 
he  had  frequently  sent  my  wife  corn,  honey,  etc.  So  you  may 
judge  of  his  delight  in  escorting  us  to  Sesheke.  Everything 
at  the  Zambesi  is  not  bad,  thank  God  ! 

At  Mpalira,  we  meet  Makoatsa,  Khama's  messenger,  who 
was  said  to  have  been  murdered  ;  he  was  returning  laden  with 
furs  for  his  master.  We  also  found  there  three  petty  chiefs, 
sent  by  the  king  to  fetch  us — pleasant  enough  and  full  of 
consideration  for  us  :  they  won  our  hearts  from  the  first.  They 
were  going  to  Leshoma,  where  they  knew  I  was  detained  by 
my  wife's  illness  :  they  wanted  to  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
us,  and  personally  transmitting  the  messages  they  were  charged 
with.  I  decided  to  remain  at  Mpalira  that  day  and  the  next, 
which  was  Sunday,  so  as  to  converse  at  leisure  with  them,  and 
above  all  with  Makoatsa,  and  to  evangelise.  We  had  no  cause 
to  regret  the  delay,  for  we  had  large  gatherings  and  interesting 
conversations. 

On  our  arrival  here,  the  chiefs  worked  like  horses  to  make 
us  comfortable.  They  gave  us  a  new  hut,  roomy  and  clean  ; 
they  have  brought  us  provisions  for  the  journey  ;  and  morning 
and  evening  they  love  to  assemble  in  our  courtyard  and  talk. 
We  profit  by  this  to  talk  to  them  of  the  things  of  God,  on 
which  subject  they  ask  the  strangest  questions  ;  and  to  collect 
information  about  ethnography,  ethnology,  etc.  ;  and  to  study 
the  Serotsi  language.  When  I  am  tired  of  talking,  I  simply 
begin  to  read  or  write  :  that  is  all.  They  are  never  tired  of 
watching  my  pen  run  over  the  paper  ;  and  they  ask  what 
mysterious  medicine  can  initiate  into  this  wonderful  art.  Aaron 
also  has  begun  to  study  Serotsi,  and  now  it  remains  to  be  seen 
which  of  us  will  make  the  most  progress.  See  my  pretension 
in  matching  myself  against  these  African  philologists,  who  seem 
to  learn  a  language  without  thinking  about  it  !  Their  memories 
are  like  iron  :  everything  is  engraved  ;  nothing  effaces  itself    All 


V. 


THE   chiefs'   photographs  l6$ 

the  same,  I  do  make  some  progress,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of 
my  professor.  Let  me  take  advantage  of  it  to  pass  a  little 
lesson  on  to  you,  very  elementary,  but  very  useful.  The  name 
of  tne  tribe  is  not  Barotsi  at  all — that  is  the  name  the  Makololo 
have  given  it,  corrupting  the  real  one,  which  is:  Aruyi,  Moruyi, 
Morotst,  pi.  Aruj/i  ;  Seriiyi,  the  language;  Boruyi,  the  kind; 
Lealnyi,  the  country,  and  not  Lua-lui,  nor  Lua~luyi,  as  I  wrote 
it  at  first.  The  confusion  in  African  geography  resulting  from 
the  way  in  which  travellers  attempt  to  render  the  native  names 
in  English,  French,  and  Portuguese  is  such  that  I  am  determined 
to  render  the  native  pronunciation  as  faithfully  as  possible. 
Livingstone  himself,  whom  I  admire  more  than  ever  since  I 
have  read  his  life,  has  fallen  into  more  than  one  error  ;  but  then 
he  acknowledges  that  he  has  no  ear  for  music.  So  I  shall  write 
Lealuyi,  pronounced  Le-a-/(5/<:-yi. 

Since  I  began  this  letter,  they  have  brought  me  three  cases 
and  the  packages  I  left  under  the  care  of  that  excellent  man 
the  chief  Tahalima.  What  was  our  horror  to  discover  that 
everything  had  been  opened !  Some  one  had  helped  himself 
liberally  to  beads,  powder,  calico,  red  and  black  woollen  caps, 
etc.  The  thief  had  amused  himself  by  trying  on  my  woollen 
shirts  and  a  white  flannel  suit,  covered  as  he  was  with  grease 
and  ochre,  and,  finding  them  no  doubt  too  small  for  him,  had 
dragged  them  off  as  best  he  could,  and  put  them  back  into  the 
chest,  pell-mell,  with  lead,  bottles  of  medicine,  etc.  The  shirt 
business  only  amused  us,  and  we  said  laughing,  "  If  the  rascal 
had  only  been  obliging  enough  to  leave  us  a  bit  of  soap  !  "  But 
the  loss  of  our  beads  and  stuff — our  pocket-money  for  the  journey 
— puts  us  in  a  great  difficulty.  You  see  we  made  no  mistake 
in  bringing  the  Gospel  to  the  Zambesi ! 

In  one  of  my  former  journeys,  I  took  the  portraits  of  several 
chiefs,  and  succeeded  fairly  well  in  printing  them.  Some  young 
men  to  whom  I  showed  them  in  Leshoma  have  published  it 
abroad.  And  now,  in  all  the  villages  we  pass  through,  you  should 
see  every  one  rush  out  and  ask  me  to  show  them  "  the  chiefs 
that  I  have  in  my  pocket."  And  you  should  sec  the  excitement 
of  the  women,  and  hear  the  noisy  exclamations  of  the  men. 
"  Eh,  Ratau  !  you  can  see  his  charms,  and  his  fillet,  and  his 
wrinkles  !  What  a  nose  !  Yo !  yo  !  Yu,  there's  Masatoane. 
Don't  you  see  him,  with  his  closed  eye?     Just  look  at  his  torn 


1 64  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1884 

ear !  You  see  his  earrings  and  his  beads  ?  He  is  going  to 
speak  ;  now  you'll  see  him  wink  his  eye,  and  say  in  his  squeaky 
little  voice,  '  Ka  Scbctoane  !  Kocnyama  ! '  Oh  !  lumela  IVIasa- 
toane  ! "  Here  the  interest  seems  at  the  highest  pitch.  What 
will  it  be  if  I  ever  make  copies  and  exhibit  them  with  my  magic 
lantern  ! 

But  a  crowd  is  coming  into  the  court.  The  chiefs  are 
bringing  the  young  men  who  are  to  conduct  us  to  Lealuyi. 
So  I  must  put  up  my  traps  and  get  ready  in  earnest ! 


CHAPTER    XII 

First  Journey  to  the  Capital — A  Prosperous  Voyage — Camping  on  the  Bankj; 
— The  Rapids  of  Death — Pirates  and  Brigands — Ngonyc  Falls — Th.c 
Barotsi  Valley — A  Royal  Tomb  — Nalolo  and  Queen  Maibiba — Lealuyi 
— An  Official  Reception — Inspecting  a  Site — A  Night  Adventure — Respect 
of  the  Barotsi  for  the  Basuto — Return  to  Scsheke — Death  of  Aaron's 
Daughter — Leshoma  once  more — A  Dark  Prospect — Disasters  with  t!ic 
Post  and  the  Draught  Oxen — To  our  Collaborators, 

Leshoma,  March  ^th,  18S5. 

YOU  read  in  our  last  letters  of  our  departure  for  Lealuyi. 
And  now  I  hasten  to  announce  our  return,  and  to  give 
you  some  details  of  our  journey.  I  confess  we  rather  dreaded 
it  in  the  rainy  season  ;  but  as  the  events  which  delayed  us  were 
quite  beyond  our  control,  the  path  of  duty  was  clear,  and 
we  had  the  right  to  count  on  God's  blessing.  We  were  not 
disappointed.  The  journey  was  as  happy  and  as  prosperous 
as  possible.  It  lasted  two  months  to  the  very  day,  instead  of 
three  or  e.vex\four,  as  was  predicted.  Aaron  and  I  kept  wonder- 
fully well  ;  only  Middleton  was  ill.  At  the  very  beginning,  he 
got  his  feet  burnt  by  the  sun  in  his  boat ;  and  not  only  was  he 
helpless  for  a  whole  month,  but  his  constitution  received  such 
a  shock  that  his  state  gave  us  much  anxiety.  On  the  return 
journey,  thank   God !  he  quickly  recovered. 

Under  the  escort  of  chiefs,  who  surrounded  us  with  attentions, 
and  with  an  old  man  like  Mokhele,  one  of  those  venerable 
pagans  that  one  loves  to  know,  a  voyage  on  the  Zambesi  could 
not  entirely  lose  its  charm.  The  river  itself  is  always  beautiful 
with  the  monsters  that  sport  in  its  depths,  the  clouds  of  water- 
fowl that  animate  its  sandy  shores,  its  verdant  isles,  its  rapids 
and  cataracts,  its  banks,  here  bare  and  irregular,  there  bordered 
with  wooded  hills.  At  every  turn  there  is  a  new  panorama. 
There   is  nothing  exactly  picturesque  ;  the  vegetation  itself  is 

165 


l66  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

nothing  remarkable,  but  it  is  there,  reflected  in  the  mirror  of 
the  water  and  fringing  the  horizon.  At  certain  places,  I  could 
have  believed  myself  on  Lake  Como  or  Maggiore. 

But  after  all,  it  must  be  frankly  confessed  that  the  charm 
of  novelty  soon  passes  off.  Leaning  against  one's  baggage, 
huddled  up  on  a  damp  mat,  in  the  small  space  left  by  five  or 
six  canoc-men,  the  traveller  wearies  of  admiring,  gets  tired  of 
reading,  struggles  against  sleepiness,  and  ends  by  giving  way  to 
fatigue.  It  is  no  longer  Basuto-land,  where  you  bestride  your 
horse,  and  guide  it  as  you  will  over  hill  and  dale.  At  a  certain 
age,  the  apprenticeship  to  a  Zambcsian  canoe  is  rough  ;  but 
one  gets  accustomed  to  it.  It  is  difficult  not  to  be  impatient 
when  the  oars  work  listlessly,  and  the  boatmen  coolly  give 
themselves  up  to  a  deafening  chatter,  and  no  progress  is  made. 
But  when  navigation  becomes  difficult  and  dangerous,  then 
interest  revives,  gossip  is  at  an  end,  and  there  is  not  even  an 
answer  to  an  inopportune  question.  Nothing  is  heard  but  the 
cadence  of  the  paddles  frothing  the  water.  They  are  on  the 
alert,  for  the  Zambesi  is  easily  irritated  ;  a  whistle  suffices  to 
rouse  its  anger,  to  call  up  the  wind  and  the  catspaws  on  the 
water,  and  to  capsize  the  canoes. 

We  generally  start  at  break  of  day,  when  we  have  had 
public  prayer,  and  when  every  one  is  at  his  post.  Except  for 
a  few  short  halts  on  the  bank,  we  only  stop  to  encamp.  At 
two  in  the  afternoon,  they  are  already  discussing  a  site  ;  then 
we  moor  the  boats,  build  shelters,  and  prepare  the  evening  meal 
and  the  food  for  the  next  day.  I  speak  of  the  shelters  !  These 
are  simply  kennels  of  reeds  and  straw,  where  our  young  men 
lie  heaped  together.  If  a  hurricane  comes  on  in  the  night, 
they  inevitably  collapse.  The  Zambesians  are  accustomed  to 
it,  and  take  it  stoically.  Some  hide  themselves  under  the  masses 
of  wet  grass  ;  others  cover  themselves  with  the  mats  they  have 
been  lying  on  :  one  dozes  in  a  crouching  position,  and  marks 
time — a  wooden  bowl  on  his  head  by  way  of  a  cap  ;  whilst 
another,  wrapped  in  the  rags  of  a  skin  garment,  snores  beside 
him.  If  their  stomachs  are  not  empty,  they  have  only  to 
exchange  glances  on  waking  up,  and  all  roar  with  laughter. 

The  Zambesi  would  be  one  of  the  greatest  arteries  of 
commerce,  if  it  were  navigable.  And  it  would  be  so,  except  for 
the  rapids.     But  those  rapids !     We  have  passed  no  less  than 


i885]  THE   RAPIDS   OF   DEATH  167 

twenty-four  between  Ka-tima-Mollo  and  Seoma  of  Ngonyc, 
a  distance  of  eighty  miles  (more  than  a  hundred  kilometres) 
according  to  the  pedometer.  We  admired  the  prudence 
and  soHcitude  of  the  chiefs  no  less  than  the  dexterity  of  the 
canoe-men,  both  when  rowing  painfully  up  the  river,  and 
in  descending  it ;  the  canoe  shoots  like  an  arrow  through  the 
foaming  billows  that  dispute  its  passage  among  the  obstructing 
rocks.  The  attempt  looks  like  sheer  madness.  Woe  betide  the 
canoe  which  turns  broadside  on  among  these  reefs  in  the  midst  of 
the  irresistible  current !  One  of  these  rapids  bears  the  sinister 
name  of  Loshu  (Death),  because  of  the  numerous  accidents 
there.  This  was  where  the  Jesuits  going  to  the  capital  in  1881 
lost  one  of  their  party.  The  unfortunate  man,  not  under- 
standing the  language,  and  seeing  the  canoe-men  jumping  into 
the  water  to  right  the  boat,  imagined  that  there  was  danger, 
leapt  from  the  canoe,  and  instantly  disappeared  in  the  boiling 
whirlpool.  They  did  not  even  succeed  in  finding  his  corpse. 
The  Rapids  of  Death !  We  passed  a  dreary  night  there, 
camped  in  the  rain  on  an  islet,  in  the  midst  of  a  fermenting 
jungle,^  and  swarms  of  the  most  venomous  mosquitoes,  having  to 
listen,  willy-nilly,  to  the  descriptions  of  the  misfortunes  that 
had  given  these  parts  their  sinister  celebrity.  It  made  us 
shudder.  One  could  almost  catch  a  glimpse  of  Charon  and  his 
bark  in  the  shadows  of  the  darkness.  After  this,  you  will  not 
be  astonished  at  our  Zambesians'  noisy  delight,  when  they 
found  themselves  safe  and  sound  on  the  other  side  of  these 
dangerous  places.  They  hastened  to  land  on  the  first  sandy 
shore,  seized  each  other  by  the  two  hands,  and  threw  them- 
selves into  a  passionate  dance  ;  then  pressing  round  us  and  their 
chiefs,  they  all  clapped  hands  on  their  bended  knees,  saying 
to  each  other,  "  Shangwe  !  SJiangwe  ! "  then  rising,  and  draw- 
ing up  in  line,  as  if  in  the  presence  of  a  divinity,  real,  but 
invisible,  they  shouted  with  all  the  strength  of  their  lungs, 
"  Yo-sJio !  Yo-sho ! "  This  is  the  salutation,  the  thanks- 
giving, strictly  reserved  for  the  sovereign.  To  flatter  us, 
they  added  with  beaming  looks,  "  You  see,  Jesus  has  taken 
care  of  us  ! " 

Above    Sesheke   and  beyond  Katonga,  I  was  struck  by  the 

'  Mr.   Selous  speaks  of  the  sour  smell  rising   from  the  wet  and  rotting 
jungles  in  the  Barotsi  Valley. 


l68  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

beauty  and  fertility  of  this  region,  which  I  believe  to  be  the 
healthiest  in  the  country.  To  judge  by  the  quantity  of  ground 
lying  fallow,  it  was  relatively  very  thinly  populated.  At 
present  it  is  nothing  but  a  vast  solitude.  The  chief  Mokhele 
assured  me  that  it  was  the  Barotsi,  while  travelling,  and,  above 
all,  their  subordinates,  who  by  their  exactions  and  general 
behaviour  had  driven  away  the  population  into  the  interior  of 
the  country.  We  were  soon  able  to  convince  ourselves  of  this. 
No  sooner  was  the  solitary  canoe  of  a  Mosubia  fisherman  seen, 
than  there  was  a  race,  a  regular  pirates'  race,  "  I'll  have  his 
spear  !  I'll  have  his  fish  !  I'll  have  his  food !  "  they  cried,  each 
louder  than  the  other,  pouncing  upon  their  victim.  If  we  came 
in  sight  of  a  Makalaka  village,  our  young  men,  deaf  to  all 
remonstrances,  invaded  it  like  a  horde  of  brigands,  seizing 
everything  they  saw.  They  forced  the  unhappy  people  to  take 
the  roofs  off  their  own  dwellings  and  bring  them  to  their  camp. 
If  the  Makalaka  offered  them  food,  they  placed  it  before  these 
petty  tyrants,  and  kept  at  a  distance,  prostrated,  and  clapping 
their  hands.  "  Dogs  of  Makalaka  !  "  the  boatmen  would  cry  : 
"  how  dare  you  insult  us  with  this  handful  of  maize,  and 
this  wretched  fruit !  Do  you  not  know  that  we  serve  the 
lords  of  Sesheke?  If  it  were  not  for  the  Bariiti"  (missionaries), 
"  we  would  strangle  you  on  the  spot !  But  wait  a  little  ;  we  will 
pay  you  out."  And  the  unhappy  creatures,  trembling  with  fear, 
would  redouble  their  clappings  and  their  "  Shangwes."  We  had 
more  than  once  to  interfere,  to  prevent  their  coming  to  blows. 
What  must  it  be  when  there  is  no  moral  sway  exercised  !  At 
the  sight  of  our  canoes  all  the  men  in  a  village  generally  fled. 
It  was  heart-rending ! 

There  is  another  thought  that  besets  one  in  crossing  these 
regions,  so  vast,  beautiful,  and  fertile,  so  rich,  and  yet  without 
inhabitants,  except  for  a  few  Makalaka  hamlets  here  and  there. 
One's  thoughts  involuntarily  turn  to  a  corner  of  our  globe  where 
man,  struggling  for  existence,  scarcely  even  finds  a  place  under 
the  sun.  These  African  solitudes,  and  our  great  European  cities, 
those  monstrous  antheaps  of  human  beings,  where,  side  by  side 
with  opulence,  there  is  so  much  poverty  and  misery,  tell  me 
do  they  really  enter  into  His  designs  Who  said,  "  Be  fruitful, 
and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth "  ? 

On   December  26th,  we  came  to  Seoma  of  Ngonye.     We 


■>> 


i«85]  NGONYE   FALLS  I69 

had  to  wait  four  days  before  it  was  possible  to  collect  the 
Makalaka  (whom  famine  had  dispersed  into  the  woods),  to 
transport  our  boats  above  the  falls.  I  profited  by  the  delay 
to  visit  them.  You  will  remember  that  Major  Serpa  Pinto  gave 
a  poetic  description  of  them,  which,  on  the  whole,  is  a  fair  one. 
The  cataract  is  formed  by  a  wall  of  basalt,  over  which  the  river 
rolls,  and  falls  fifty  feet,  making  many  beautiful  and  widely 
spreading  cascades.  These  foaming  waves,  these  sheets  of  silver, 
are  brought  into  relief  by  the  black  rocks  on  which  they  dash 
themselves,  and  by  the  beautiful  belt  of  vegetation  in  the  back- 
ground, which  breaks  between  the  azure  of  the  river  and  the 
sky.  The  dazzling  light  of  the  tropical  sun  flooding  the  picture 
throws  the  contrast  into  strong  relief 

We  must  not  compare  Ngonye  with  Musi  oa  Tunya.  There 
arc  no  two  Musi  oa  Tunyas  in  the  world.  There  everything 
takes  colossal  proportions ;  the  whole  makes  one  dizzy,  and 
inspires  one  with  terror.  One  would  say  it  was  the  entrance  to 
the  infernal  regions.  Still,  the  Ngonye  Falls  would  be  admired 
in  any  country ;  they  form  an  enchanting  picture.  There  is 
a  stunning  roar,  but  none  of  those  thunderbolts  or  cannonades 
which  make  everything  tremble  under  one's  feet.  Nevertheless, 
the  natives  of  these  parts  have  as  high  an  ideal  of  their  divinity, 
as  their  neighbours  have  of  theirs  at  Musi  oa  Tunya,  and  nevei 
dare  to  approach  the  abyss  without  an  offering.  I  was  rash 
enough  not  to  conform  to  the  established  custom.  And  whilst 
scrambling  from  rock  to  rock,  looking  for  a  point  of  view  to 
photograph,  I  slipped,  fell,  and  rolled  to  the  edge  of  the  torrent, 
which  would  have  swept  me  away  like  a  straw  if  I  had  not 
clung  to  a  projecting  rock  in  time.  I  escaped  with  a  sprained 
hand,  but  the  accident  made  a  great  sensation.  On  my  return, 
I  went  to  the  opposite  bank,  to  get  another  view  of  the  cataracts. 
On  the  way,  one  of  my  guides  asked  me  confidentially  if,  this 
time  at  least,  I  had  not  armed  myself  with  an  offering.  I  said 
"No."  He  was  horrified,  and  I  had  some  difficulty  in  persuading 
him  to  follow  me.  As  soon  as  we  were  in  sight  of  the  falls, 
he  threw  himself  down  on  a  rock,  and,  clapping  his  hands,  began 
a  long  incantation  in  a  tone  which  testified  sincerity  no  loss 
than  sorrow.     "  O  Nyambe,^  thou  who  inhabitest  these  abysses, 

'  The  Supreme  Being. 


I70  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

appease  thy  wrath  !  These  white  people  are  poor,  and  have 
nothing  to  offer  thee.  If  they  had  stuff  and  beads,  we  would 
know  it,  and  I  would  not  hide  it  from  thee.  O  Nyambe,  be 
not  revengeful,  do  not  swallow  them  up  ;  appease  thy  wrath, 
Nyambe  !  " 

What  a  comfort  it  was  for  this  good  Mokalaka,  when  we 
took  our  way  home,  safe  and  sound  !  I  am  sure  that  he  never 
even  noticed  that  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  remove  my 
boots,  so  as  to  move  about  on  the  rocks,  polished  by  the  action 
of  the  water ! 

But  we  must  hasten  on.  The  first  day  of  January,  we  were 
going  up  the  river,  admiring  the  forests  which  bordered  it,  under 
the  impression  that  they  would  soon  disappear.  And  sure 
enough,  to  use  the  native  expression,  these  beautiful  forests 
suddenly  fled  away  to  the  right  and  left,  as  far  as  the  hills,  barely 
discernible  on  the  horizon.  Before  us  stretches  a  plain,  as  far 
as  eye  can  see.  It  is  a  vast  prairie,  where  the  limpid  Zambesi 
winds,  sending  out  an  arm  here  and  there,  and,  at  the  entrance 
of  the  Valley,  spreading  out  like  a  lake.  The  view  is  a  strange 
one,  but  not  as  dreary  as  I  should  have  thought.  The  rich 
carpet  of  verdure  somewhat  redeems  the  monotony  of  the 
landscape.  One  could  almost  believe  oneself  in  Holland,  if  it 
were  possible  to  see  a  steeple  and  a  windmill  in  the  midst  of 
a  village  of  proverbial  cleanliness.^  The  annual  floods  have 
already  begun,  and  invaded  the  lower  parts  of  the  plain.  At 
this  point  we  leave  the  river,  and  nothing  is  more  curious  than 
to  see  our  canoes  gliding  over  the  grass,  and  to  hear  our  people 
asking  the  passers-by  which  is  the  road  to  the  capital. 

But  softly  !  It  is  not  thus,  clandestinely,  that  we  enter  the 
Barotsi  Valley.  One  evening  the  chiefs  came  to  see  me, 
surrounding  their  visit  with  all  the  official  forms  possible. 
Addressing  themselves  to  Aaron,  who  was  at  my  side,  they 
counted  on  him,  as  a  Mosuto,  to  explain  to  me  the  important 
business  which  brought  them.  "  There  is  in  the  neighbourhood 
the  tomb  of  Moana  Mbinyt,  one  of  the  most  ancient  kings  of 
the  country.  No  one  passes  without  making  a  pilgrimage 
there,  with  an  offering  of  white  beads,  or  calico  of  the  same 
colour.       All    travellers,    even    the    white    ones,    submit    to  this 

'  See  Mr.  Selous's  book  "  Travel  and  Adventure  in  South-East  Africa," 
[ip.  254-258,  where  he  makes  the  same  remark. 


i88s]  A   KING'S   TOMB  171 

national  and  sacred  custom  ;  they  count  upon  our  doing  so 
too,  and  declare  that,  considering  my  age,  they  will  accept  a 
compromise,  and  will  go  themselves  to  place  my  offering  on  the 
tomb  of  Moana  Mbinyi."  My  answer  may  be  easily  guessed. 
The  chiefs,  seeing  they  had  nothing  to  gain,  predicted  all  sorts 
of  misfortunes,  for  which,  they  said,  our  obstinacy  alone  would 
be  responsible.  Next  morning,  our  whole  party  was  gloomy 
and  silent,  and  they  burst  into  invectives  when  we  passed  at  a 
distance  before  the  old  king's  tomb.  But  in  the  evening,  when 
we  camped,  thanks  to  a  great  abundance  of  meat,  green  maize, 
and  curdled  milk,  that  some  hospitable  chiefs  had  given  us, 
every  one  had  forgotten  the  tomb  of  Moana  Mbinyi,  and  all  were 
gay  as  usual. 

Let  me  remark  in  passing,  that  the  Valley  is  sprinkled  with 
these  tombs  c  f  Barotsi  kings.  One  can  recognise  them  a  long 
way  off  by  the  magnificent  clumps  of  trees  which  shade  them. 
Some  chiefs,  with  a  certain  number  of  people,  live  there,  and 
keep  them  up  with  much  care.  The  reigning  king,  alone,  with 
his  Gambella,  or  prime  minister,  has  the  right  to  enter  the  sacred 
enclosure,  formed  by  beautiful  strong  reed  mats.  And  in  every 
way,  the  king,  dead  for  generations  past,  is  treated  with  as  much 
deference  as  if  still  living  and  reigning.  They  present  him 
with  libations  of  milk  and  honey,  and  offerings  of  beads  and 
white  calico.  They  bid  farewell  to  him  before  starting  on  a 
journey,  and  on  their  return  they  come  to  salute  him,  and  to 
tell  him  the  news.  So  here  is  a  powerful  lever  for  us  to  use  in 
preaching  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  and  eternal  life.  It  is 
one  of  the  numerous  questions  which  it  will  be  interesting  to 
study  from  a  scientific  as  well  as  from  a  missionary  point 
of  view. 

On  January  5th,  we  arrived  at  Nalolo,  the  second  capital  of  the 
kingdom,  that  of  KJiosi  ca  Mosali,  the  queen.  This  is  an  ancient 
institution  of  the  people  of  these  parts,  to  which  Sebetoane 
gave  quite  a  fresh  impulse  by  placing  his  daughter,  Ma- 
Mochesana,  in  the  position  of  queen  of  the  Barotsi  country.^ 
I  hope  one  day  to  have  the  opportunity  of  speaking  at  greater 
leisure  about  the  various  attributes  of  this  important  personage. 
At  present  it  must  suffice  for  me  to  introduce  you  to  Ma'ibiba. 

'  See  Livingstone's  "  Travels  on  the  Zambesi." 


172  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

She  is  an  amiable  and  gracious  woman,  who  has  passed  her 
first  youth,  and  is  both  intelligent  and  talkative.  Her  dignity 
is  no  burden  to  her ;  she  sits  in  the  lekhotJila  with  a  great 
deal  of  grace,  and  transacts  her  business  surrounded  by  her 
councillors.  None  of  them  has  the  right  of  sitting  in  her 
presence,  not  even  her  husband,  who  bears  the  title  of  Mokwe 
Ttmga  (Son-in-law  to  the  Nation),  but  yields  precedence  to  the 
principal  councillors.  Every  one  gives  her  the  royal  salutation, 
standing  at  a  distance,  and  shouting,  "  Tautona  !  " — that  is, 
"  Great  Lion  "  ;  properly  speaking,  the  viale  lion. 

Maibiba  received  us  with  the  greatest  affability.  When  she 
had  recovered  from  a  slight  embarrassment,  very  natural  under 
the  circumstances,  she  asked  all  sorts  of  questions  about  the 
country  whence  we  came,  and  the  object  of  our  mission.  She 
pressed  us  to  stay  over  the  next  day,  to  make  her  better 
acquaintance,  and  to  speak  to  her  people  of  the  Gospel  of 
peace  which  we  brought.  She  listened  to  me  with  an  intense 
interest,  mingled  with  surprise,  when  I  spoke  to  her  of  God's 
sovereignty,  and  of  her  own  duties  towards  herself  and  towards 
her  nation. 

"  Ours  is  a  land  of  blood,"  she  remarked  sadly  ;  "  kings  and 
chiefs  succeed  each  other  here  like  shadows.  They  are  never 
allowed  to  grow  old.  If  you  come  back  in  a  few  months,  shall 
we  still  be  in  power  ?  After  all,  one  might  envy  the  Makalaka  " 
(the  serfs  and  slaves)  ;  "  revolutions  do  not  touch  them.  Ah  !  " 
she  added,  sighing,  and  addressing  herself  to  her  councillors, 
"  Robosi  is  no  longer  king,  and  he  has  lost  all  ;  but  if  he  has 
been  received  by  people  like  these"  (pointing  to  mc),  "  he  may 
think  himself  happy  ;   he  has  nothing  to  regret." 

How  can  one  refrain  from  a  feeling  of  pity  in  the  presence 
of  a  person  like  Maibiba,  over  whose  head — and  to  her  own 
knowledge — the  sword  of  Damocles  ever  hangs  !  All  the 
nation  joins  in  praising  her  good  qualities — her  kindness,  her 
horror  of  blood,  her  intelligence  in  business,  her  princely 
hospitality.  We  are  the  last  to  contradict  this  ;  for,  in  spite  of 
the  famine  which  desolates  the  Valley,  we  had  abundance  in  the 
camp,  besides  the  ox,  which  is  de  rigiicur.  The  queen  had 
the  success  of  the  mission  so  much  at  heart,  that,  unknown  to 
us,  she  immediately  sent  a  confidential  message  to  her  brother 
the  king,  proposing  to  come  herself  to  him.     Of  all  the  chiefs, 


i885]  LEALUYI  173 

she  is  the  only  person  who  seriously  enquired  into  the  robbery 
of  our  goods  at  Seshcke,  and  who  has  deplored  it.  All  that  is 
said  of  this  interesting  princess,  and  all  that  I  have  observed 
myself,  has  filled  me  with  esteem  for  her.  One  would  like  to 
see  her  invested  with  supreme  power  ;  then  there  might  be  some 
hope  for  this  unhappy  country. 

I  had  a  strong  desire  to  take  her  portrait.  But  she  did 
not  care  particularly  to  be  exhibited  like  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke, 
whose  portraits,  at  first  sight,  startled  her  considerably.  Also, 
she  was  the  only  one  who  did  not  seem  inclined  to  sit  before 
my  mysterious  camera.  People  came  in  crowds  from  all  the 
villages.  Ten  times  a  day,  I  had  to  recommence  the  exhibition 
of  the  photographs,  and  hear  the  same  remarks,  and  the  same 
bursts  of  laughter.  Then  I  had  to  show  the  "  sun,"  i.e.  the 
watch,  that  I  had  in  my  pocket  ;  then  the  portrait  of  my  wife, 
which  I  had  in  a  locket.  Fancy  a  man  caring  sufficiently  about 
his  wife  to  travel  with  her  portrait !  And  then  my  mirror, 
which  the  young  women  never  forget ;  for  these  black  ladies,  too, 
have  a  little  spice  of  vanity;  they  fancy  themselves  beautiful, 
very  beautiful  even,  and  do  not  at  all  think  that  the  white  race 
has  a  monopoly  of  the  aesthetic  !  One  old  woman,  who  could 
not  believe  that  my  whole  body  was  as  white  as  my  face,  on 
seeing  my  bare  arm,  cried  out,  in  a  tone  of  compassion  which 
quite  touched  me,  "  Is  it  possible  ?  He  is  like  a  new-born 
child  ! "  ^ 

One  day's  journey  after  leaving  Nalolo,  and  the  next  we 
arrived  at  Lealuyi.  My  first  impression  was  such  as  one  would 
prefer  to  forget.  Certainly  war,  and  civil  war  above  all,  drives 
men  mad  ;  it  turns  them  into  wild  beasts.  Here,  as  in  Paris, 
it  brought  forth  the  Commune,  and  the  Commune  has  left  its 
traces.  Of  all  Robosi's  beautiful  native  town,  nothing  is  left  but 
two  large  huts  in  ruins  ;  all  the  rest  has  been  totally  destroyed, 
and  a  thick  jungle  has  overspread  everything.  The  capital 
to-day  is  nothing  but  miserable  shelters,  half  buried  in  luxuriant 
grass.  One  can  scarcely  discover  the  winding  paths  leading 
from  one  quarter  of  the  village  to  another.  After  Lewanika's  '^ 
flight,  the  chiefs  looted  his  treasures,  the  people  and  slaves 
joining  in.     The  sole  remains  of  his  riches  I  was  able  to  discover 

'  It  is  generally  known  that  negro  children  are  not  born  black. 
*  Robosi's  other  name. 


174  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF  CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

were  an  armchair  (his  throne  !)  and  his  footstool  covered  with 
leopard  skins.  It  seems  that  even  the  state  barge,  a  master- 
piece of  industry  according  to  the  accounts  given,  was  sunk,  so 
that  nothing  should  remain  of  the  expelled  king.  The  property 
of  the  Jesuits  suffered  the  same  fate.  These  gentlemen  had 
asked  me  to  look  after  it,  and  to  collect  what  remained,  if  it 
were  worth  the  trouble.  I  found  nothing  but  some  pieces  of  iron 
of  no  value,  and  a  medicine  chest,  of  which  the  bottles  had  been 
emptied  for  snuff-boxes  :  that  was  all. 

The  report  of  our  coming  had  spread,  and  we  found  the 
greater  number  of  the  most  important  chiefs  waiting  for  us 
at  the  capital.  The  day  after  our  arrival  there  was  a  grand 
official  reception.  The  young  king,  draped  with  Portuguese 
calico  of  a  large  pattern,  sat  in  the  public  place.  Behind  him 
were  his  servants,  in  front  the  musicians  playing  on  the  serimba, 
and  on  drums,  making  a  deafening  noise,  while  all  the  chiefs 
with  their  suites  were  seated  in  a  circle  round  him  at  a  distance 
of  about  two  hundred  yards.  The  spectacle  partook  both  of 
the  serious  and  the  comic,  and  recalled  what  I  had  seen  at 
Sesheke  at  the  time  of  my  first  visit.  Mathaha,  the  Gambella, 
or  chief  minister,  had  put  on  a  black  suit  and  a  white  shirt ! 
Others  were  dressed  up  in  uniform,  tunics  of  every  kind  :  here, 
one  of  a  Kimberley  policeman  ;  there,  a  dragoon,  or  a  naval 
officer ;  and  a  little  farther  on,  the  coat,  long  worn  out,  of  a 
high  official  of  the  Portuguese  Government.  We  had  leisure  to 
make  our  observations  while  the  royal  music  was  splitting  our 
heads.  At  a  given  moment,  all  the  chiefs  were  commanded  to 
approach  the  king  one  after  the  other  ;  and  when  once  the 
council  was  complete,  the  serhnbas  and  drums  became  silent, 
and  the  cerem.ony  began. 

The  chiefs  Mokhele  and  Warubita  introduced  us,  and  gave 
an  account  of  their  mission  by  describing  our  voyage  minutely. 
Then  it  was  our  turn  to  greet  the  king  and  his  council,  and 
to  explain  the  purpose  of  our  mission  and  its  character.  All 
the  chiefs  answered  one  after  the  other  by  speeches  very  inferior 
to  those  we  should  have  heard  under  similar  circumstances  in 
Basuto-land,  but  in  which  we  detected  an  undercurrent  of  great 
satisfaction  and  sincerity.  "  You  are  welcome,  servants  of  God," 
said  Mathaha,  "  you  who  bring  us  rain  and  slumber,  peace  and 
abundance.      It  is  in  the  name  of  the   whole  nation  that   we 


i88s]  YELLOW   HEARTS  1 75 

receive  you.  We  have  waited  long  years  for  you,  and  thought 
you  had  forsaken  us  ;  and  it  is  with  joy  that  we  see  your  faces, 
and  hear  you  say  that  you  are  now  come,  not  merely  to  visit 
us,  but  to  live  among  us,  with  your  families.  You  will  soon 
discover  that  we  have  yellow  hearts,  and  that  our  country  is  a 
country  of  blood.  The  nation  is  weary  ;  it  sighs  for  peace,  it 
languishes.  Here  it  is  ;  we  place  it  before  you  ;  save  it.  You 
see,  the  king  is  only  a  child  :  be  his  father  ;  uphold  him  with 
your  counsels.  We  do  not  ask  for  presents  ;  we  do  not  seek 
your  goods,  if  you  have  any.  What  we  ask  for  is  your  teaching  ; 
what  we  wish  for,  is  peace  !  "  The  others  spoke  in  the  same 
strain. 

The  day  after,  another  scene  was  enacted,  but  one  which 
nearly  ended  in  a  fiasco.  The  business  in  hand  was  that  of 
giving  our  presents  to  the  king.  The  Barotsi  chiefs  insisted  on 
its  being  done  according  to  the  rules  of  etiquette.  They  formed 
a  long  procession,  which  the  old  Mokhele  headed  with  great 
dignity,  followed  by  Warubita,  carrying  the  precious  parcel. 
But,  unfortunately,  the  king  was  suffering  from  ophthalmia  ;  he 
had  left  the  IckJiothla,  and  retired  into  a  hut — a  royal  hut,  but 
only  a  hut,  after  all.  And  it  was  there,  crouching  down,  huddled 
together,  and  half  suffocated,  that  we  accomplished  this  im- 
portant ceremony.  The  privileged  public  filled  the  court,  and 
blocked  up  the  doorway.  I  was  vexed,  for  1  had  counted  on 
this  occasion  to  give  Akufuna,  the  young  king,  some  advice, 
publicly.  While  I  unfolded  the  great  "  St.  Cyr  "  military  cloak, 
which  I  had  bought  at  the  Belle  Jardiniere,  the  Gambella, 
perspiring  profusely,  tried  to  get  his  feet  into  a  pair  of  boots 
which  he  had  coveted.  The  mantle  astonished  everybody  ; 
and  the  Gambella,  throwing  aside  his  boots,  put  it  round  the 
shoulders  of  Akufuna,  who  strutted  about  before  us  for  a 
moment. 

They  listened  to  me  in  silence  when,  addressing  myself  to 
the  king,  I  endeavoured  to  show  him  that  before  God  he  was 
only  a  servant,  who  had  to  render  an  account  of  his  adminis- 
tration ;  that  his  subjects  were  God's  creatures  ;  and  that  he, 
Akufuna,  king  as  he  was,  had  no  right  to  put  any  of  them  to 
death,  without  preliminary  trial.  "It  is  well  said  ;  that  is  the 
counsel  of  a  father,"  whispered  the  chiefs.  But  when  I  spoke 
of  theft,  and  the  necessity  of  extirpating  it,  every  one  burst  out 


176  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

laughing.  "  What  are  you  laughing  at  ?  Did  I  say  anything 
funny?"  "Eh!  Moruti  !  you  talk  of  punishing  and  putting 
down  theft,  but  every  one  steals  here  !  "  And  even  while  laugh- 
ing, they  were  in  earnest.  Here  is  the  proof.  A  few  days  later, 
I  had  to  be  absent  a  whole  day  ;  no  one  would  undertake  the 
responsibility  of  my  baggage,  although  I  left  two  boys  to  look 
after  it.  "  Here,"  they  repeated,  "  people  steal  by  day  as  by 
night  ;  nothing  is  safe."  I  was  obliged  to  carry  the  packages 
to  a  young  man  of  Scottish  origin  who  was  passing  through 
Lealuyi. 

That  day  we  left  early  with  the  Gambella  and  Mokubesa, 
to  inspect  the  site  offered  to  us  for  the  station.  Livingstone, 
it  seems,  had  cast  his  eyes  on  it,  and  later  it  had  been  offered  to 
the  Jesuits.  We  found  that  water  was  a^.  a  great  distance  from 
the  hill,  which  complicates  matters  for  building  and  for  the 
housekeeping,  and  that  the  hill  itself  was  covered  with  planted 
fields,  a  source  of  interminable  strife  with  the  natives.  The 
Gambella,  offended  because  I  did  not  share  his  admiration  for  the 
scenery,  killed  an  ox,  which  he  divided,  and  then  leapt  into  his 
canoe,  in  order  to  reach  the  capital  by  daylight,  if  possible,  for  it 
was  already  late,  and  left  me.  We  soon  lost  sight  of  him  in  the 
jungle,  where  we  forced  our  path  with  difficulty.  The  sun  set ; 
no  twilight  here,  no  moonlight,  no  landmarks  to  guide  our  way. 
We  wandered  for  a  long  time  in  the  darkness,  without  being  able 
to  find  the  channel  which  we  had  followed  ;  we  came  to  dry  land 
everywhere.  At  last,  much  against  our  will,  we  took  the  direction 
of  a  fire  ;  it  belonged  to  a  fisherman.  The  isle  was  not  a 
hundred  yards  square,  and  the  smell  of  putrid  fish  was  unbear- 
able ;  but  we  had  no  choice  ;  so  we  stuck  our  oars  into  the 
ground,  to  make  a  shelter.  With  one  blow  they  went  in  a  foot, 
and  the  water  spurted  out  ;  clouds  of  mosquitoes  whirled  and 
trumpeted  round  us,  stabbing  us  pitilessly  ;  hunger  gnawed  our 
stomachs  ;  and  the  handful  of  reeds  the  good  fisherman  gave 
us  scarcely  sufficed  to  roast  one  or  two  cobs  of  maize. 

What  a  night !  and  with  what  joy  we  greeted  the  first  rays 
of  dawn  !  At  last,  at  eight  o'clock,  we  were  at  the  capital,  and 
put  an  end  to  the  anxieties  of  our  new  friends.  We  heard 
that  Mokubesa  had  fortunately  arrived  in  the  evening,  astonished 
at  not  seeing  us.  As  for  the  Gambella,  he  had  passed  the 
whole  night  with  his  crew  completely  at  a  loss,  wandering  in 


i885]  SEFULA  1 77 

their  canoe,  and  it  was  only  in  the  morning  that  the  sound  of 
drums  reaching  his  ear  enabled  him  to  take  the  right  direction 
and  arrive  a  short  time  before  us. 

The  chiefs  designated  another  spot,  and  two  of  them  took 
us  to  it.  Arrived  at  the  village  nearest  the  place  in  question, 
we  killed  an  ox,  and,  while  it  was  being  prepared,  explored  the 
proposed  site.  We  had  to  wade  through  pools  and  cross  the 
Sefula  River  three  times,  up  to  the  waist  in  water,  and  then  a 
pouring  rain  came  on,  which  soaked  us  through  and  through 
in  a  moment.  Don't  talk  of  waterproofs  ;  I  have  never  found 
one  that  was  any  good.  Our  guides  were  muffled  in  long  shirts 
of  Portuguese  calico,  which  dragged  at  their  heels,  and  clung 
to  their  limbs  ;  one  of  them  had  indulged  in  an  umbrella  of 
the  same  material,  half  worn  out,  and  with  a  frame  of  impossible 
construction,  letting  the  rain  through  like  a  sieve.  But  what 
did  it  matter  ?  It  was  an  umbrella,  and  our  Morotsi  was  proud 
of  it,  and  would  not  let  it  go  for  a  moment. 

The  next  day  the  weather  was  perfect,  and  Aaron  and  I 
were  able  to  examine  the  place  more  at  our  leisure,  and  to 
convince  ourselves  that,  for  an  establishment  like  ours,  it  pre- 
sented incalculable  advantages.  There  still  remains  the  question 
of  its  salubrity,  which  only  a  stay  at  Sefula  can  decide. 

In  any  case  this  will  be  our  headquarters  when  we  first 
install  ourselves  at  the  Valley.  It  has  been  arranged,  that  in 
the  month  of  May,  when  the  floods  are  over,  and  the  country 
dry  enough  for  travelling,  the  chiefs  will  send  canoes  to  trans- 
port our  baggage.  We  shall  divide  into  two  parties;  and  while 
one  will  go  up  the  river,  the  other  will  make  the  journey  by 
land.  It  is  no  small  enterprise;  but  we  shall  have  the  whole 
winter  before  us.  One  last  request  the  chiefs  made  while 
accompanying  us  to  our  canoes  was  that  we  should  not  leave 
the  Basuto  behind ;  they  wish  to  have  them  at  the  Valley. 
The  respect  and  esteem  that  the  Barotsi  still  have  for  their 
old  masters  is  something  extraordinary.  A  chief  would  not 
consider  himself  a  chief,  if  he  had  not  a  Mokololo  for  his  first 
wife  ;  and  when  you  visit  him,  he  never  fails  to  introduce  her 
to  you.  This  explains  how  the  Sesuto  language  has  kept  its 
pre-eminence  in  the  country.  All  the  important  chiefs  wished 
to  have  Basuto  evangelists.  One  understands  their  motives, 
but   the    fact   is    none  the    less   significant,   especially  after  the 

T  2 


178  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

rumour  which  was  spread,  to  the  effect  that  the  Barotsi  were, 
very  suspicious  of  some  Basuto  coming  to  settle  in  their 
country  witli  a  number  of  strangers.  Aaron's  presence  in  the 
capital  created  quite  a  sensation  ;  the  chiefs  courted  him,  their 
wives  sent  him  food,  and  people  came  from  far  to  see  him. 
This  popularity  has  its  dangers,  but  such  is  the  fact  !  If  only 
the  Churches  of  Basuto-land  understood  the  mission  that  God 
has  prepared  for  them  ! 

On  our  return  journey  we  had  incessant  rain,  which  delayed 
us  a  good  deal.  We  were  impatient  to  reach  Sesheke,  for  we 
knew  we  should  find  tidings  of  Leshoma  there  ;  and  we  were 
not  disappointed.  We  had  scarcely  reached  land  when  a  stupid 
young  fellow  came  towards  us  and  said,  without  any  other 
preface,  "Your  little  daughter  Philoloka  died  a  month  ago." 
Poor  Aaron,  petrified,  fell  back  on  his  stool,  unable  to  speak. 
As  soon  as  possible,  he  retired  to  our  hut,  and  there  burst  into 
tears,  which  somewhat  relieved  him,  and  we  were  able  to  pray 
together.  A  letter  from  my  dear  wife  confirmed  the  sad  news  ; 
the  Sesheke  chiefs  who  had  paid  a  visit  to  Leshoma  gave  us 
a  very  sad  picture  of  it.  Every  one  there  was  ill,  and  we 
wondered  who  would  still  be  found  alive. 

We  lost  no  time,  and  February  nth  found  us  once  more 
at  Leshoma.  .  .  .  Such  moments  as  those  do  not  bear  descrip- 
tion. Only  our  friend  Jeanmairet  had  come  to  meet  us.  At 
the  sound  of  our  guns  the  others  dragged  themselves  out  of 
their  beds  and  their  huts  to  receive  us.  Leshoma  had  become 
a  hospital  ;  we  were  horrified  by  the  cadaverous  faces  we  saw. 
During  my  absence  they  had  been  cruelly  used  by  the  fever, 
which  had  spared  no  one,  my  dear  wife  less  than  anybody.  And 
it  was  upon  her  that  all  the  anxieties  fell — the  commissariat, 
the  charge  of  the  workmen,  the  care  of  the  cattle.  "  I  thank 
God,"  she  said  in  her  letter,  "  that  my  head  has  always  been 
clear,  and  that  I  have  been  able  to  come  and  go,  and  to  give 
advice  and  medicine  to  whoever  needed  them."  We  have  one 
or  two  desperate  hypochondriacs  amongst  us,  who  were  a  great 
source  of  trouble  ;  but  my  niece,  always  gay,  busying  herself 
with  the  housekeeping  and  the  school  when  she  was  well 
enough,  and  M.  Jeanmairet,  struggling  energetically  against  the 
depression  left  by  the  fever,  have  done  their  best  to  provide 
some  distraction,  and  beguile  this  trying  time. 


i88s]  REVIEWING   THE   FIELD  179 

Soon  after  my  arrival  our  patients  recovered,  and  now,  in 
spite  of  ups  and  downs,  the  sanitary  condition  of  tlic  caravan 
is  satisfactory.  Althou£;'h  the  fever  has  continually  attacked 
us,  at  least  it  has  been  in  a  very  mild  form. 

And  now,  shall  I  sum  up  my  impressions  in  a  few  words? 

1.  To  tell  the  truth,  the  political  condition  of  the  country 
does  not  inspire  me  with  much  confidence.  Mathaha,  the  chief 
of  the  revolution,  is  blinded  by  ambition.  The  king  is  a  beard- 
less boy,  born  and  brought  up  in  exile.  He  is  a  perfect  stranger 
among  the  tribes  who  have  called  him  to  govern  them,  and 
does  not  yet  speak  the  Serotsi  language,  nor  the  Sekololo. 
To  him  power  means  pleasure,  and  he  occupies  himself  very 
little  with  business.  Discontent  is  already  making  itself  felt. 
Some  regret  the  expelled  king  ;  others  think  of  a  new  chief 
I  am  no  pessimist,  but  I  think  I  foresee  another  revolution. 
But  there  is  room  for  hope  that  it  will  not  break  out  before  we 
are  in  the  Valley,  and  that  there  will  be  no  bloodshed. 

2.  The  nearer  one  sees  the  Zambesians  the  blacker  they 
are,  and  it  is  impossible  to  make  them  more  so.  But  we  must 
not  be  discouraged  ;  we  must  look  the  work  which  is  before 
us  straight  in  the  face,  in  all  its  prosaic  reality.  The  work 
which  is  done  with  such  admirable  devotion  amongst  the  dregs 
of  society  in  our  large  cities  shall  be  done  here  by  us.  May 
we  do  it  in  the  same  spirit !  But  v/hat  a  task  !  What  clearings 
to  make !  How  many  things  to  demolish  and  uproot.  But 
how  good  it  is  to  know  that  if  we  are  bringing  the  Gospel  in 
earthen  vessels,  that  Gospel  is  still  the  power  of  God. 

3.  Lastly,  how  vast  the  field  is !  While  I  was  pleading 
in  Europe  for  this  mission,  the  Jesuits  came  into  the  country ; 
and  apart  from  any  external  influence,  they  managed  to  make 
themselves  unpopular,  and  to  close  the  door.  But  though  the 
Barotsi  have  received  us  so  heartily,  it  is  not  because  they  have 
any  true  idea  of  the  Gospel  that  we  bring.  They  sigh  after 
something  they  have  not,  and  which  they  do  not  even  know. 
They  are  feeling  after  the  One  Who  alone  can  give  peace  and 
save — "  Jesus,  the  desire  of  all  nations." 

March  i^th,  18S5. 

We  and  our  catechists  have  some  plans  of  evangelisation, 
which  are  constantly  being  upset  by  slight  attacks  of  fever  in 


l8o  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

one  or  the  other ;  and  now  that  the  chiefs  are  gone,  we  must 
postpone  them.     I  regret  it  on  account  of  the  evangelists. 

Our  friend  Jeanmairet,  who  has  changed  the  night  school 
into  a  day  school,  has  tried  to  get  them  to  take  a  share  in  his 
work.  But  the  natives  have  not  quite  the  same  notions  of  duty 
as  he,  and  do  not  find  it  at  all  interesting  to  make  these 
Zambesians,  whose  brains  are  still  fallow,  repeat  A,  B,  C.  You 
must  not  be  surprised  at  this,  for  our  natives  have  not  much 
elasticity.  When  all  goes  well,  they  are  cheerful  enough  ;  but 
they  are  soon  discouraged.  Evangelisation  will  be  tiring  and 
laborious,  because  the  population  is  so  scattered.  If  only  I 
had  a  horse,  one  of  my  horses  that  died  on  the  way  !  There 
are  some  here.  But  do  you  know  the  price  ?  From  £^6  to  ;^8o  ! 
These  are  no  horses  for  a  missionary !  While  admiring  them, 
one  has  to  repeat  the  Tenth  Commandment.  It  is  not  easy, 
when  one  sees  them  grazing  without  doing  anything,  or  mounted 
by  urchins,  who  tire  them  out  to  show  that  they  can  make 
them  gallop  better  than  their  masters,  who  are  afraid  of  them, 
can  do. 

Leshoma,  April  (^th,  1885. 

Ten  or  fifteen  days  ago,  we  wrote  till  we  nearly  split  our 
heads  and  put  out  our  eyes,  in  order  to  send  a  good  budget  to 
Mangwato.  I  had  hired  a  Griqua  very  cheaply,  a  hunter  out 
of  work,  who  promised  to  come  back  in  less  than  two  months. 
We  rubbed  our  hands  with  joy,  for  in  addition  to  the  consola- 
tion of  having  paid  off  our  debts  of  correspondence,  we  had  the 
delightful  prospect  of  receiving,  before  our  departure  for  the 
Valley,  the  post  which  had  been  accumulating  at  Mangwato 
for  months.  A  few  days  went  by,  and  one  morning,  when  I 
woke,  a  shadow  passed  before  my  door.  I  rubbed  my  eyes  to 
see  better  ;  but  I  had  made  no  mistake — it  was  indeed  Yantji,  my 
postman,  who  had  returned,  bringing  back  our  letters.  And 
we  thought  he  was  already  in  the  middle  of  the  Kalahari 
Desert !  What  a  blow  !  A  merchant,  to  whom  I  suppose 
Yantji  was  in  debt,  forseeing  that  elephant-hunting,  which  had 
been  closed  by  the  Barotsi  revolution,  would  soon  be  reopened, 
had  stopped  my  man  on  his  way,  and  sent  back  our  letters. 
The  Fathers  of  the  Jesuit  Mission,  who  shared  our  disappoint- 


i885]  THE   POST  l8l 

ment,  sent  their  condolences,  and  informed  us  that  they  were 
sending  a  waggon  to  Tati  or  Mangwato  at  the  end  of  May  or 
the  beginning  of  June.  Thank  you  !  At  this  rate,  with  African 
delays,  you  will  get  our  letters  in  October  or  November. 

Meanwhile,  the  waggons  we  expected  arrived,  with  a  great 
deal  of  news,  a  number  of  letters,  and  a  bag  quite  full  of 
newspapers  and  publications. 

The  news  is  not  cheerful.  Our  young  Zambesians,  who 
returned  radiant,  informed  us  that  of  their  fellow-countrymen 
who,  in  spite  of  all  we  could  do  or  say,  obstinately  persisted  in 
following  Makoatsa  on  his  return  to  Mangwato,  five  are  dead  of 
hunger  and  thirst.  Two  of  them  had  left  our  service.  One  of 
them  was  called  Molilima.  One  evening,  throwing  himself 
down  under  a  shelter  in  the  desert,  he  said  to  his  companion, 
"  This  is  the  end  ;  I  can  go  no  farther  ;  I  am  dying.  It  is  your 
fault,  for  you  tempted  me  away  against  my  will."  The  others 
rose  up  in  the  night  and  left  the  unhappy  boy  there,  still 
sleeping  !  Can  one  imagine  his  awakening !  A  few  days  later 
it  was  his  comrade's  turn. 

There  were  new  disasters,  too,  among  our  draught  oxen. 
Our  waggons  would  still  have  been  at  Mangwato,  without  any 
possibility  of  moving,  if  our  dear  friends  Musson  and  Whiteley 
had  not  lent  us  oxen,  to  the  detriment  of  their  own  commerce, 
to  bring  them  back  to  the  Zambesi.  This  deed  has  touched 
us  all  the  more,  since  the  presence  of  English  troops  in  the 
country  has  considerably  raised  the  price  of  oxen,  and  that 
Mr.  Musson  himself  has  just  been  robbed  by  some  adventurers 
from  Stella-land. 

The  death  of  some  of  our  bullocks  makes  fresh  complications 
for  our  journey  to  the  Valley,  and  caused  us  grave  anxiety. 
Surely  our  heavenly  Father  would  not  permit  such  serious 
embarrassments  if  He  Himself  had  not  provided.  ''Jehovah 
Jireh  " — that  is  our  motto. 

And  the  bag  of  newspapers— with  what  pleasure  we  open  it, 
sort  the  different  publications,  and  arrange  them  according  to 
their  dates !  If  you  knew  how  we  sigh  after  something  new, 
something  fresh  to  read !  Our  library  is  so  limited  that  we 
wander  intellectually,  too,  in  the  arid  solitudes  of  the  desert. 
This  is  not  the  least  of  our  privations.  We  hope  those  friends 
will  not  be  displeased  who  have  too  good  an  opinion  of  us,  and 


1 82  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

think  vvc  arc  above  such  thinr^s  ;  but  everything  which  keeps 
us  abreast  of  the  times  in  Europe,  as  regards  politics,  Hterature, 
or  religion,  has  a  lively  interest  for  us.  From  a  distance,  your 
world  seems  to  us  to  be  more  agitated  than  ever  ;  it  travails. 
We  are  not  impassive  spectators,  believe  me. 

I  have  just  been  reading  the  Report.  What  attracts  my 
attention  above  all  is  the  list  of  donors,  and  of  their  gifts. 
I  analyse  it,  diary  in  hand.  Do  you  blame  me  ?  I  seek,  one 
after  the  other,  all  the  localities  I  have  visited — above  all,  tho.se 
where  they  beat  the  big  drum  to  attract  the  public.  They  were 
so  proud  to  exhibit  a  Protestant  traveller,  a  lion  recently 
returned  from  the  Zambesi.  How  beautiful  the  French  language 
sounded,  when,  in  a  generous  burst  of  enthusiasm,  an  orator 
laid  on  the  hearts  of  a  sympathetic  assembly  the  evangelisation 
of  Tropical  Africa !  .  .  .  Much  was  promised,  and  I  have  the 
right  to  ask  from  the  Report,  "  What  has  been  done  here  ? 
What  has  been  done  there  ?  "  .  .  .  Here  a  little,  there  notJihig. 
A  missionary  enterprise  is  not  a  balloon,  filled  with  gas,  launched 
into  the  air  before  an  admiring  crowd,  and  left  to  take  its  chance. 
No  ;  it  is  a  work  which  demands  energetic  co-operation,  both 
personal  and  constant.  I  have  felt  this  deeply  during  my 
travels,  and  I  know  where  our  strength  lies.  Though  Churches, 
like  those  of  Marseilles  and  Nantes,  which  assist  us  collectively, 
are  rare,  there  are  men  friends,  and  women  friends,  some  rich, 
and  many  poor,  who  have  laid  our  work  upon  their  hearts  ; 
orphanages,  Sunday  schools,  dear  children  who  wish  to  take  their 
share  in  our  work.  Every  gift,  however  small  it  may  be,  every 
message  which  tells  us  silently  that  they  love  the  Zambesi 
Mission  and  pray  for  it,  is  a  powerful  tie  which  unites  us.  With 
all  these  beloved  fellow-workers,  great  and  small,  French  and 
foreign,  the  burden  of  the  day  is  less  difficult  to  bear,  and 
success  appears  to  us  more  certain. 

April  lyth,  1885. 

To-morrow  I  shall  send  back  the  oxen  belonging  to  our 
friends  at  Mangwato.  (We  have  already  lost  two,  and  I  fear 
greater  losses.)  So  this  is  an  opportunity  for  sending  letters, 
and  I  must  close  this  one.  I  can  scarcely  hold  the  pen,  for  T 
too,  have  just  had  a  rather  severe  attack  of  fever.  Since  the 
foregoing  was  written,  I  have  been  across  the  river  with  our  two 


i885]  SICKNESS  1 83 

catechists,  intending  to  make  an  evangelising  tour,  lasting  a 
fortnight.  But  the  state  of  my  party  at  Leshoma  made  me  so 
anxious,  that  after  having  publicly  blessed  Karumba's  marriage, 
I  left  the  evangelists,  and  came  back.  My  wife  was  as  ill  as 
ever  ;  you  would  hardly  know  her,  she  has  grown  so  thin  and 
weak.  She  is  no  longer  at  an  age  when  her  constitution  can 
stand  such  frequent  shocks. 


CHAPTER    XIII 

Winter  at  Leshoma — Kamburu  and  Nguana-Ngombe — Soap-making — 
Neighbourly  Intercourse  with  the  Jesuits — Fresh  Political  Troubles  and 
Delays — A  Bargain  in  Goats — British  Protectorate  of  Khama's  Country — 
Engagement  of  Mile.  Coillard  to  M.  Jeanmairet — The  Passage  of  the 
Zambesi — Life  at  Kazungula — Death  of  Little  Monyai — Arrival  at  Sesheke 
— The  Jesuits — Dr.  Holub — Revolution  and  Civil  War — Treachery  and 
Robbery — Perils  of  Waters  and  Perils  of  Wild  Beasts — Marriage  of  EUse 
Coillard  and  M.  Jeanmairet — A  Wedding  Party  under  Difficulties — 
Building  the  Station — A  Reign  of  Terror — Middleton  sent  to  Pretoria. 

Leshoma,  June  2^th,  1885. 

WE  only  hear  distant  echoes  here,  and  often  confused  ones, 
of  what  is  happening  on  the  other  side  of  the  Limpopo, 
and  even  at  our  door.  We  have  been  staggered  by  the  news 
about  Angra  Pequena  and  Santa  Lucia.  Are  we  then  to  have 
the  Germans  for  neighbours  ?  And,  who  knows  ?  perhaps  one 
day  for  masters  ?  Commerce  can  only  gain  by  a  vigorous 
competition.  But  the  African  tribes,  What  will  be  their  destiny  ? 
There,  as  in  the  countries  of  the  Bechuana  and  the  Zulu, 
England  is  reaping  the  fruit  of  her  policy  of  expedients.  She 
has  sown  the  wind  ;  she  now  reaps  the  whirlwind.  It  is  to  be 
regretted,  for,  in  spite  of  all  her  hesitations  and  all  her  blunders 
England  has  always  shown  herself  the  protectress  of  the 
aboriginal  races. 

Disastrous  news  comes  to  us  from  Saul's  Poort.  On  their 
return  journey  to  Basuto-land,  our  conductors,  and  the  evangelist 
Andreas  and  his  family,  have  lost  several  oxen.  A  thunderbolt 
killed  seven.  Andreas  and  Josefa  were  thrown  down  and 
stunned.  When  they  came  to  themselves,  young  Zakea 
Mosenene,^  at  the  head  of  the  team,  was  also  on  the  ground, 
and   regaining   his   .senses,  he  cried,  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 

'  The  convert  of  Seleka  :  see  page  123. 
184 


i885]  CLIiMATE   OF   LESHOMA  185 

spirit "(!).  No  one  was  killed,  thank  God!  But  these  losses, 
added  to  others,  haunt  our  pillow  with  sadness  and  care. 

We  are  now  in  the  middle  of  winter.  The  thermometer, 
in  the  morning  down  at  44°  Fahr.,  rises  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  to  ']']''  Fahr.  The  bright  light  and  the  great  heats  of 
summer  have  passed  away,  and,  with  them,  the  fever,  that  im- 
portunate guest  of  whom  we  have  not  been  able  to  rid  ourselves 
for  the  last  six  months.  When  the  wind  comes  from  the  north- 
east, it  comes  impregnated  with  the  miasmas  around  the  Victoria 
Falls.  Then  appetites  flag,  and  headaches,  shiverings,  and  all 
those  dismal  symptoms  with  which  we  are  now  so  familiar, 
attack  us,  several  at  a  time,  or  all  at  once.  But  the  fever  is 
mild,  and  only  lasts  a  short  time,  and  then  courage  and  energy 
revive  ;  the  future  even  brightens  before  us,  as  if  there  were  to 
be  no  more  spring  and  autumn — that  is  to  say,  no  more  bad 
seasons.  Undoubtedly,  at  the  Zambesi,  one  becomes  a  little  bit 
of  a  Trappist  in  spite  of  oneself.  Everything  repeats  every 
day  the  solemn  warning,  "  Brother,  remember  that  thou  must 
die."  However  good  it  may  be  for  us  to  think  of  this,  we  share 
the  illusion  with  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  we  believe  that  the 
moment  has  not  yet  come,  since  we  have  not  yet  done  our  work. 

When  one  asks  a  Mosuto  if  it  is  going  to  rain,  he  puts  on 
the  air  of  a  sage,  looks  at  the  clouds,  considers  the  wind,  and 
replies  invariably,  with  all  the  gravity  of  an  oracle,  "  If  the  rain 
likes  to  fall,  it  will  fall ;  if  it  does  not  like  to  fall,  it  will  not  fall." 
And  there  you  are,  so  much  the  wiser.  I  asked  the  traders 
the  other  day  if  they  considered  this  year  had  been  good  or  bad 
as  regards  the  fever.  "  Well,"  they  replied,  "  after  rainy  seasons, 
as  after  dry  seasons,  we  have  had  good  years,  and  we  have  had 
bad  years  also."  With  my  eyes  shut,  I  could  have  thought  it 
was  the  answer  of  some  wiseacre  in  Basuto-land.  My  impression 
is  that  we  have  had  a  good  season.  When,  on  our  first  journey 
in  1877,  we  passed  the  best  part  of  the  year  here,  we  lost 
two  men.  To  tell  the  truth,  I  have  the  conviction  that  if  this 
"  deadly  pestilence  "  has  not  approached  our  tents,  it  is  because 
they  have  been  surrounded  by  the  prayers  of  God's  children. 

Life  at  Leshoma  is  necessarily  dreary  and  monotonous. 
Waiting  and  the  uncertainty  about  the  future  would  make  it 
unbearable,  if  each  one  had  not  his  regular  occupation.  Our 
"  park  "  has  neither  avenues  nor  paths.     Under  the  stunted  trees 


1 86  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

there  is  nothing  but  brushwood,  haunted  by  serpents.  One 
hears  but  the  raucous  cry  of  the  parrots,  or  the  twittering 
of  a  flight  of  birds,  attacking  occasionally  some  belated  owl 
surprised  by  the  day.  The  population  in  the  neighbourhood  is 
composed,  as  you  know,  only  of  a  few  families  of  half-breed 
hunters,  and  that  of  the  trader  Blockley,  together  with  the 
Masaroa  and  Zambesians  attached  to  their  service.  Bands  of 
Masubia,  Matoka,  Mananzoa,  Mashapatane,  come  and  go  con- 
stantly to  seek  work  and  sell  their  produce.  It  makes  our 
heart  ache  to  sec  these  poor  things  performing  a  journey  of  six 
days  or  more  (coming  and  going),  to  exchange  one  or  two 
calabashes  of  millet  or  earth-nuts  for  a  piece  of  calico  or  a 
few  necklaces  of  beads.  When  our  supply  is  complete,  we  have 
to  send  them  away,  which  they  do  not  understand.  We  seize 
these  opportunities  to  let  them  hear  something  of  the  Gospel. 

We  have  two  young  men  in  our  service  who  are  rather 
more  advanced.  One  of  them,  Kamburu,  is  our  factotum,  and 
also  our  washerman.  He  rubs  our  linen  remorselessly  into  holes, 
or  else  brings  it  back  much  in  the  same  state  as  he  took  it 
away.  He  has  never  been  to  Paris,  and  knows  nothing  of 
eau  de  javelh}  He  is  the  despair  of  our  housekeeper.  The 
other  is  our  scullion,  wideawake  and  intelligent :  he  is  Nguana- 
Ngombe  (the  calf).  Like  Kamburu,  he  was  lent  for  one 
month,  and  now  it  is  ten  since  they  both  came  to  us. 
Nguana-Ngombe  has  developed  a  taste  for  cookery,  which  he 
carries  on  in  the  open  air.  He  fetches  his  fuel  from  the  forest, 
carries  his  water,  and  crushes  his  maize,  which  he  boils  every 
day,  all  without  a  frown.  When  he  is  called,  he  comes  hopping 
on  one  foot,  and  one  knows  he  is  in  a  good  humour :  the  con- 
trary is  exceptional.  He  has  a  clock  in  his  head  which  never 
goes  wrong.  At  seven  o'clock  to  the  minute,  every  morning, 
the  coffee  (mixed  with  roast  maize)  and  the  polenta  are  on 
the  table,  and  at  five  o'clock  the  dinner.  I  must  not  praise 
him  too  much,  otherwise  he  might  give  me  the  lie.  That  has 
happened  to  me  more  than  once.  What  gives  us  most  pleasure 
is  that  these  two  boys,  under  the  care,  first  of  my  niece,  and 
then  of  M.  Jeanmairet,  will  soon  be  able  to  read  fluently,  and 
already  they  write  quite  nicely. 

'  A  solution  of  chloride  of  lime. 


i885]  FRIENDLY   INTERCOURSE  1 87 

Our  life  here  is  of  course  rather  more  primitive  than  in 
Basuto-land.  Making  beer,  vinegar,  candles,  etc.,  presents  few 
difficulties  ;  but  one  of  our  great  troubles  is  soap.  The  bad 
soap  which  a  trader  sometimes  sells  you  as  a  favour  costs  \s.  Sd. 
a  pound,  often  more.  This  is  serious  for  such  an  expedition 
as  ours.  We  have  had  therefore  to  procure  the  necessary 
ingredients  by  degrees— ashes,  lime,  tallow  ;  and  then  Mme. 
Coillard  serves  her  apprenticeship.  What  a  business  to  make 
this  mixture  boil  six  or  eight  days,  but  also  what  a  satisfaction 
to  take  out  of  the  pot  (for  we  have  no  cauldron)  these  bars  of 
precious  soap  1  Every  one  is  interested  and  congratulates  us  on 
our  success. 

Our  aim  is  to  make  use  as  far  as  possible  of  the  resources 
of  the  country,  both  for  food  and  the  household  requirements. 
We  could  cultivate  our  own  corn  ;  we  might  even  grow  our  coffee, 
and  roughly  manufacture  our  sugar,  if  we  had  hands  and  time. 
I  have  the  impression  that,  once  installed,  we  shall  not  be  too 
heavy  a  burden  for  our  contributors  in  Europe.  The  precarious 
thing,  the  black  spot,  is  the  transport,  the  journey.  Doubtless 
we  shall  not  have  such  losses  in  cattle  every  year,  but  it  is 
distressing  that  our  disasters  should  pile  themselves  up  like 
this  at  the  outset.     We  feel  it  keenly. 

The  Jesuits  are  definitely  leaving  the  country.  They  have 
completely  renounced  their  project  of  a  mission  to  the  Barotsi : 
they  have  already  abandoned  Tati,  which  the  miners  have  once 
more  deserted,  and  they  are  going  to  retire  for  good  from 
Pata-matenga.  These  gentlemen  have  been  very  kind  and 
obliging  to  us.  Our  intercourse  with  them  has  been  most  agree- 
able—  I  might  almost  say  friendly.  They  let  me  know  that  they 
could  make  over  to  us  cheaply  certain  things  we  might  need. 
I  took  my  cart,  and  started  with  Middleton  :  this  journey  took 
us  a  week.  Father  Booms  had  had  to  conduct  Father  Kroot  to 
Tati,  as  the  latter  had  fallen  seriously  ill.  I  found  the  brother 
Saadeleer  all  alone.  He  is  Flemish,  a  warm-hearted  man,  full 
of  energy,  and  a  true  Christian.  With  my  cart  I  was  quite 
independent;  nevertheless,  this  good  man  rivalled  Mr.  Westbeech 
in  his  attentions  to  us.  You  would  have  been  very  much 
astonished  to  see  me,  a  descendant  of  the  Huguenots,  holding 
serious  converse  with  this  disciple  of  Loyola,  on  the  experiences 
of  the  Christian  life,  the  evangelisation  of  the  world,  of  Africa 


1 88  ON    THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

in  particular,  on  the  approaching  Coming  of  our  Saviour,  on 
true  conversion,  and  on  the  most  effective  way  of  treating  the 
natives. 

We  could  not  agree  on  all  these  points,  of  course.  For  the 
natives,  these  gentlemen  do  not  recoil  from  "  muscular  Christi- 
anity," even  the  bastinado  occasionally.  We  repudiate  that 
sy.stem  ;  we  believe  rather  in  moral  suasion,  which  we  must 
necessarily  exercise  if  we  walk  with  God.  The  traders,  like  the 
Jesuits,  think  us  too  indulgent.  It  is  said  everywhere  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river  that  we  do  not  beat  people,  and  it  is 
possible  that  the  poor  slaves,  who  believe  in  nothing  but  brutality, 
take  advantage  of  it.  They  certainly  possess  the  secret  of 
provoking  one.  Still,  it  is  a  serious  thing  to  take  the  law  into 
our  own  hands,  and  be  judge,  jury,  and  executioner  all  in  one. 
Father  Booms  has  come  back  to  Pata-matenga  to  help  with 
the  move.  At  his  invitation  I  am  starting  again  to  pay  him  a 
visit  and  see  what  business  I  can  do  with  him.  Is  it  not  extra- 
ordinary that  the  Jesuits  should  retire,  leaving  us  a  clear  field, 
when  for  six  years  they  have  been  alone  in  the  country,  and 
threatened  to  shut  the  door  to  us  ? 

Since  I  wrote  last  to  you,  fresh  troubles  have  arisen  in  the 
Valley.  A  strong  coalition  has  been  formed  against  the  young 
king  Akufuna,  whom  all  despise,  and  tax  with  being  a  stranger, 
a  Mokalaka.  The  two  parties  have  come  to  blows  ;  that  of  the 
king  has  triumphed  after  a  bloody  battle.  As  usual  under 
such  circumstances,  massacres  of  chiefs  have  taken  place,  and 
sinister  rumours  spread  terror  throughout  the  land  The 
survivors  have  taken  refuge  on  a  large  island  with  their  followers. 
Thus  the  river  highway  is  no  longer  safe.  It  is  even  doubtful 
if  the  canoes  which  were  promised  us,  and  which  ought  to 
arrive  this  month,  can  be  sent.  We  are  still  waiting.  It  is 
rumoured  that  the  lords  of  Sesheke,  who  have  been  to  pay 
homage  to  the  new  king,  are  returning — on  foot  of  course. 
However,  we  shall  soon  have  news.  We  dread  fresh  delays. 
The  season  is  advancing,  the  only  one  in  which  we  can  travel 
and  build  :  to  lose  it  is  to  expose  ourselves  to  losing  a  whole 
year.  But  we  are  thoroughly  determined  to  cross  the  stream 
at  the  very  earliest  opportunity.  Messrs.  Westbeech  and 
Blockley  promise  me  their  help. 

If  you  should  meet  some  friend  who  wants  to  do  something 


'  iiij. 


1 885]  DEATH  OF  OXEN  1 89 

special  for  us,  it  will  be  a  good  thing  to  know  that  what 
we  most  need  is  some  canoes  to  travel  in  and  evangelise.  A 
good  canoe  costs  (in  barter  goods)  from  £"]  to  £Z.  We  need 
four  to  begin  with. 

Leshoma,  y;c/K  wth,   1885. 

We  are  still  awaiting  the  return  of  the  lords  of  Sesheke. 
They  left  two  months  ago  to  render  homage  to  the  king  Akufuna. 
Perhaps — who  knows  ? — they  may  be  already  fighting  for  him. 
As  soon  as  they  come  back,  we  shall  take  over  one  or  two 
waggons,  and  make  the  journey  by  land.  We  shall  take  very 
little  luggage,  for,  in  the  present  state  of  the  country,  there 
is  less  security  than  ever.  And,  moreover,  to  clear  a  path 
through  the  sands  and  the  bush  is  no  trifle,  especially  if,  instead 
of  crossing  the  river  at  Kazungula,  at  the  confluence  of  the 
Linyanti  (Chobe)  and  Zambesi,  we  are  obliged  to  ascend  and 
traverse  these  two  streams  one  after  the  other,  taking  our 
waggons  to  pieces  each  time.  But  that  is  a  small  worry.  What 
is  really  almost  turning  our  hair  grey  is  the  question  of  our 
oxen.  They  are  nearly  all  dead.  For  us,  it  is  a  very  painful 
consideration,  because  it  is  a  question  of  finances. 

However  that  may  be,  in  some  way  or  other  we  are  going 
to  install  ourselves  in  the  Valley.  Our  friend  Waddell,  who 
is  now  looking  and  feeling  quite  strong  again,  has  courageously 
set  to  work,  sawing  mahogany,  and  making  little  windows  for 
our  future  establishment  at  Sefula.  Oh  the  luxury  of  a  window 
with  glass  panes !  Now  we  shall  begin  to  appreciate  it.  During 
six  months  of  the  year,  the  south-east  wind  blows  towards  the 
Equator  :  that  is  the  fever  wind.  Nothing  can  screen  us  from 
it,  neither  the  mats  nor  the  blankets  which  we  nail  to  the 
openings  of  our  cottage.  With  Middleton's  help,  we  have  sorted 
our  packages  afresh.     We  are  ready. 

I  have  just  come  back  from  another  journey  to  Pata-matenga. 
The  Jesuits  showed  us  the  most  cordial  hospitality.  But  that 
did  not  prevent  us  from  catching  fever,  just  as  on  a  former 
occasion.  Leshoma  is  decidedly  the  healthiest  spot  we  could 
have  chosen.  And  who  knows?  these  delays  which  have  kept 
us  all  boiling  over  with  impatience  may  have  been  purposely 
designed  to  acclimatise  us — if  indeed  it  is  possible  to  get 
acclimatised    at   the    Zambesi       I    was    able    to    procure    corn, 


IQO  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

sheep,  and  goats  from  the  Jesuits,  and  some  other  things 
which  M.  Jeanmairet  and  I  required.  What  do  you  think 
[  paid  for  the  goats  ?  Three  sJiilliiigs !  These  gentlemen 
made  a  very  good  bargain  of  it,  and  so  did  we.  They  are  of 
so  degenerate  a  breed,  such  rickety,  microscopic  creatures,  that 
you  could  put  a  whole  one  into  the  pot  to  make  soiipe  maigre. 
When,  as  now  in  winter,  they  are  in  bad  condition,  you  can 
literally  see  the  light  through  their  ribs,  and  their  small  amount 
of  flesh  has  a  disgusting  flavour. 

The  season  has  been  extraordinarily  dry  :  all  the  pools  have 
evaporated,  and  to  cross  the  Kalahari  Desert  is  almost  an 
impossibility.  Mr.  Wcstbcech  tells  us  that  more  than  two 
months  ago  Khama  became  a  British  subject,  and  that  the 
frontiers  of  the  British  possessions  now  reach  right  up  to  the 
Zambesi !  Now  commerce  and  prosperity  will  revive  together 
with  hunting,  and  the  country  will  enjoy  the  security  hitherto 
disturbed  by  the  Matabele.  On  the  other  hand,  rumours  as 
to  Lobengula's  intentions  towards  the  Mashukulumboe  and  the 
Barotsi  are  far  from  reassuring.  But  we  can  rest  calmly  in 
the  knowledge  that  "  the  Lord  reigneth." 

I  have  some  news  to  communicate  which  I  am  sure  will 
give  you  pleasure — namely,  the  engagement  of  my  dear  niece 
to  M,  Jeanmairet.  The  date  of  the  marriage  will  not  be 
settled  until  we  get  news  from  the  Valley.  This  event  will 
enable  us  found  two  stations  from  the  very  first — one  at  Sesheke, 
and  the  other  at  Sefula.  But  I  tremble  at  the  prospect  of 
losing  our  dear  Elise.  My  beloved  v/ife  is,  among  us  all,  the 
one  most  subject  to  fever  ;  she  is  no  longer  the  robust  person 
you  used  to  know.  We  have  not  a  daughter  of  the  house. 
What  shall  we  do  in  case  of  illness,  and  when  I  am  obliged 
to  be  absent?     And  the  school — who  will  take  charge  of  that? 


Kazungula,  August  -zyd,  1885. 

Kazungula  and  the  left  bank  of  the  Zambesi !  One  step 
farther  in  our  long  pilgrimage.  We  have  crossed  the  river 
and  we  are  at  last  in  the  country  which  for  more  than  six 
years  has  been  the  object  of  our  thoughts  and  the  goal  of  our 
aspirations.  I  leave  you  to  guess  how  our  hearts  overflowed 
with  joy  and  gratitude.     And  will  this  country  prove  to  be  the 


iS8s]  A   DEN   OF   LIONS  IQI 

Land  of  Promise  for  us,  or  the  den  of  lions  ?  Both,  no  doubt ; 
but  the  God  of  Daniel  was  the  God  of  the  Patriarchs,  and  He 
is  also  ours.  We  distress  ourselves  very  little  about  the  future  ; 
the  present  is  enough  for  us. 

If  I  remember  rightly,  there  was  a  little  cloud  hovering 
over  my  last  letter.  We  were  expecting  canoes  which  did  not 
arrive,  and  were  impatiently  awaiting  the  return  of  the  chiefs 
of  Sesheke.  We  would  fain  have  kept  the  favourable  weather 
which  was  fleeting  with  the  winter  season.  The  sojourn  at 
Leshoma,  which  threatened  to  lengthen  itself  indefinitely,  was 
becoming  more  intolerable  every  day.  Moreover,  our  prayer 
meetings  had  acquired  a  character  of  extraordinary  earnestness 
and  unity.  The  moment  we  heard  the  chiefs  had  returned, 
we  sent  Middleton  and  Aaron  at  once  to  demand  from  the 
Morantsiane  help  for  crossing  the  river,  and  to  study  the  route 
we  should  have  to  clear.  In  spite  of  our  ardent  prayers,  we 
were  expecting  every  kind  of  objection  and  hindrance.  It  is 
always  the  history  of  the  Church  at  Jerusalem,  praying  for 
Peter's  deliverance,  and  refusing  to  believe  that  he  was  already 
there,  knocking  at  the  door,  "  O  ye  of  little  faith ! "  The 
Morantsiane  replied  that  the  chiefs  would  hold  themselves  at  our 
service  as  soon  as  ever  we  wished  it. 

At  the  same  time,  the  chief  expressed  a  wish  that  one  of 
us  should  stay  at  Sesheke.  Our-  friend  Jeanmairet  was  quite 
marked  out  for  this  important  post.  In  a  solemn  meeting,  it  was 
proposed  that  Aaron  should  go  to  the  Valley  to  found  a  branch 
station,  while  Levi  should  stay  at  Mambova,  Mokumba's  place, 
within  easy  distance  of  Sesheke.  "  Have  pity  on  me,"  Levi 
said  :  "  I  am  not  stout-hearted  ;  I  am  a  coward.  I  am  not  afraid 
of  sickness  which  God  sends,  but  I  am  afraid  of  living  all  alone 
among  those  savages."  We  did  not  press  him,  wishing  to  give 
him  time  to  think  over  it.  But  after  prayer,  and  before  we 
separated,  Levi  said  to  us,  "  I  am  ashamed  of  having  spoken 
as  I  did.  It  was  want  of  faith  in  God.  I  am  ready  to  go, 
no  matter  where.  I  shall  abide  by  your  decision."  It  was  a 
beautiful  triumph  of  faith  in  such  a  pessimist  as  our  friend. 

As  for  Aaron,  he  did  not  seem  to  have  the  slightest  mis- 
giving. He  said  to  Levi, "  My  brother,  God  is  almighty  to  protect 
us.  If  we  are  just  as  ill  again  next  season  as  we  were  last,  I 
shall  say,  'We    shall  a'zi'ijs  be   ill,  it  is  our   lot,  and  we   will 


192  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

accept  it  as  from  God.'  And  as  for  the  Zambesians,  even  if 
they  are  terrible  savages,  God  will  touch  their  hearts,  and  we 
shall  find  among  them  pitying  friends  who  will  stand  by  us. 
That  was  our  experience  at  Seleka.     God  will  not  forsake  us." 

The  question  of  Isaiah  was  more  difficult  to  solve.  We 
have  decided  that  for  the  present  he  should  stay  at  Sesheke  and 
help  M.  Jeanmairet  to  install  himself.  Aaron  will  stay  this 
year  at  Mambova  with  Levi,  and  will  rejoin  us  in  the  Valley 
next  year,  if  God  will. 

These  arrangements  made,  and  the  sorting  and  packing  of 
our  baggage  finished,  we  were  not  yet  at  the  end  of  our 
difficulties.  Our  men  fell  ill — my  niece  had  erysipelas.  .  .  .  They 
got  well  ;  and  it  was  now  the  turn  of  the  oxen  to  drive  us 
desperate.  One  of  our  teams  has  gone  with  our  Basuto 
conductors  and  Andreas  the  evangelist.  Out  of  the  four 
others,  only  one  is  left — namely,  the  one  which  has  just  arrived 
with  our  waggon,  and  which  I  bought  at  Mangwato;  but  the  oxen 
at  Leshoma  are  dying  of  hunger,  and  those  which  have  just  been 
travelling  are  nothing  but  skin  and  bone,  and  are  so  weak  that 
every  morning  we  have  to  lift  several  of  them  to  their  legs 
to  make  them  graze.  How  could  the  poor  creatures  pull  the 
waggons,  to  say  nothing  of  cargo  ?     Our  perplexity  is  extreme. 

One  bright  spot  was  the  last  Sunday  we  spent  at  Leshoma. 
It  was  what  in  Basuto-land  they  call  a  festival,  the  baptism  of 
Levi's  wife,  and  of  Aaron's  little  daughter,  born  on  our  return 
from  the  capital,  and  shortly  after  the  death  of  Philoloka.  The 
dear  child  was  baptised  by  the  significant  name  of  Matseliso 
(consolation).  A  large  number  of  Zambesians,  about  a  hundred, 
were  present.  How  much  did  they  understand  of  this  ceremony 
which  we  tried  to  explain  to  them,  and  what  impressions  did 
they  gather  from  it  ?  I  cannot  tell.  For  us,  it  was  very  solemn. 
But  still  more  solemn  was  the  sacred  feast,  of  which  we  once 
more,  and  for  the  first  time  in  public,  partook  together. 

At  last  the  day  of  departure  arrived.  It  was  Friday, 
the  14th.  We  had  already  sent  two  small  loads  of  luggage 
to  the  ford  of  Kazungula.  Now  they  pile  up  all  that  is  left  in 
the  family  waggon,  and  in  a  transport  van.  Two  yokes  borrowed 
from  our  two  teams  are  going  to  draw  the  cart,  which  is  trans- 
formed into  a  perfect  Noah's  Ark  ;  puppies,  cats,  fowls,  ducks, 
pigs,  all  have  a  place  there — a  Babel  which  would   have  amused 


i88s]  LEAVING   LESIIOMA  I93 

any  one  who  had  time  to  notice  it.  The  sun  has  disappeared 
from  the  horizon  ;  time  presses,  for  the  tsc-tse  fly  still  haunts 
the  pathless  woods  we  have  to  cross.  The  big  waggons  once 
inspanned,  we  think  of  the  cart.  It  will  be  a  moment's  affair. 
Our  Zambcsians,  who  are  afraid  of  the  oxen,  have  hidden  them- 
selves, and  it  is  not  without  difficulty  that  we  bring  them  back 
to  their  posts.  But  in  vain  we  search  :  only  three  oxen  are  to 
be  found  ;  the  fourth  has  taken  it  into  his  head  to  tumble  down 
our  saw-pit.  We  break  down  the  margin  ;  we  raise  the  beast ; 
they  bite  his  tail,  and  pull  him  by  the  horns, — all  to  no  purpose. 
He  will  not  lend  himself  to  any  of  our  efforts.  We  are 
forced  to  give  up  the  game,  and  to  leave  the  cart  for  another 
journey. 

It  is  half-past  eight  when  the  conveyances  start,  and  no 
moonlight.  "  Ho  !  ho  !  "  What  has  happened  now  ?  My 
waggon  has  bumped  against  a  post  which  supported  my 
rain-gauge,  and  this  rascally  post  has  smashed  a  foot-rest  we 
had  arranged  for  my  wife.  After  that,  we  roll  hurriedly  to  the 
foot  of  the  slope.  We  are  off.  .  .  .  Patience.  Cries  of  alarm 
are  resounding  behind  us.  Oxen  and  waggons,  they  shout,  have 
precipitated  themselves  into  the  hog-pen  !  Poor  Isaiah !  he  is 
by  no  means  past-master  of  the  art  of  conducting.  At  half-past 
one  in  the  morning,  we  were  still  only  half-way.  I  should  have 
liked  to  perform  the  converse  of  Joshua's  miracle,  for  we  were 
in  the  thick  of  the  fly  district.  We  had  plenty  of  laughable 
incidents  in  that  short  stage.  But  they  did  not  prevent  us 
from  arriving  at  the  ford  of  Kazungula,  worn  out  and  chilled  to 
the  bone,  at  4  a.m. 

That  bit  of  the  road  really  counts  for  something.  Happily, 
in  a  little  while  the  tse-tse  will  have  completely  disappeared, 
and  it  will  be  possible  to  do  it  by  daylight.  The  road  is  open, 
and  it  is  good,  thanks  to  our  hatchets  and  spades.  The 
merchants  have  done  everything  they  could  to  induce  us  to 
take  another.  They  feel  that  they  run  the  risk  of  losing  the 
monopoly  of  commerce ;  and  one  of  them  already  speaks  of 
coming  to  establish  himself  here.  Otherwise  I  must  say  that 
they  have  shown  themselves  obliging.  Mokumba,  Rataij,  and 
other  inferior  chiefs  arrived  before  long  with  a  multitude  of 
people.  Our  first  interview  convinced  me  very  shortly  that 
they  intended   to  (Icccc  us  without  mercy.     We  agreed  to  give 


194  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

all  the  work  to  seventy  men  for  an  equal  number  of  sctsibas} 
But  after  two  days  of  some  hours'  work,  they  claimed  their  pay. 
There  was  a  general  strike,  and  we  had  no  alternative  but 
to  accept  a  compromise.  Foreseeing  the  recurrence  of  similar 
annoyances,  we  engaged  a  certain  number  of  more  tractable 
men,  who  in  their  turn  raised  another  levy,  and  from  that  time 
everything  went  with  order  and  spirit,  so  much  so  that  we  could 
even  enjoy  the  novelty  and  strangeness  of  the  animated  scenes 
which  shifted  every  moment.  It  was  interesting  to  see  the 
canoes  crossing  one  another,  loaded  with  our  trunks,  transporting 
our  goats,  making  every  ox  swim,  while  his  head  was  held  up 
out  of  the  water  by  the  horns  ;  but  still  more  imposing  was  it  to 
see  floating  among  the  Zambesi  canoes  the  tilts  of  our  waggons 
transformed  into  rafts  by  means  of  the  understel,  and  towed 
behind  our  boats.  So  far,  the  passage  has  taken  place  without 
the  slightest  accident.  But  it  lasted  no  less  than  eight  days, 
for  the  wind  interfered  ;  and  when  the  wind  blows  and  the  river 
rages,  no  canoe  dare  venture  into  mid-stream. 

It  was  on  Friday  last,  the  21st,  that  we  all  crossed,  except 
the  evangelists  and  their  families.  We  were  taking  our  evening 
meal  in  a  shelter,  exposed  to  all  the  winds,  when  the  chiefs 
raised  the  mat  which  serves  us  for  a  door,  and  squatted  down 
among  our  bales  of  luggage.  They  brought  us  news,  and  not 
good  news.  First  of  all,  Rataii  announced  that  one  of  his 
villages  was  burnt,  and,  strange  to  say,  it  was  the  village  and 
the  very  hut  where  the  luggage  had  been  deposited  that  I 
brought  for  Mr.  Arnot.  It  is  destroyed  ;  but  that  is  the  least 
thing  that  troubles  our  friend  Rataii,  who  demanded  that  I 
should  console  him  for  his  own  losses  by  a  large  present.  The 
same  thing  happened  to  me,  seven  years  ago,  also  at  Sesheke. 
Then  the  luggage  was  at  any  rate  my  own.  Much  more  serious 
is  the  news  that  Robosi's  partisans  have  retreated,  that  those 
of  Akufuna  have  taken  up  arms,  and  that  there  is  fighting  in 
the  direction  of  the  Ngonye  Falls.  An  express  messenger  has 
come  to  call  the  chiefs  who  were  here,  but  with  the  order  to 
leave  us  a  certain  number  of  men  under  the  authority  of  a 
brave  old  fellow  named  Pelepele.  We  shall  lose  nothing  by  the 
change.  But  the  horizon  is  dark.  They  say  to  us,  "  Now  you 
are  in  the  country,  go  and  settle  wherever  you  like."  But 
*  Two  and  a  halt  yards  of  calico. 


i885]  A   VISIT   TO   MAHAHA  I95 

where?  In  the  first  place,  we  must  get  to  Sesheke,  and  then  we 
shall  see.  In  this  den  of  lions,  we  enjoy  as  much,  or  as  little, 
security  in  one  place  as  in  another.  When  I  complained  to 
Ratali  about  the  behaviour  of  his  people,  "Ah,  Moruti" 
(missionary),  he  replied,  "  we  viaroia  "  (chiefs)  "  have  power  to 
strangle  and  kill  these  slaves,  but  not  enough  to  make  them 
obey  us." 

All  this  does  not  disturb  us  out  of  measure.  We  all  bless 
God  that  such  news  did  not  come  to  detain  us  at  Leshoma,  for 
it  would  have  been  difficult  for  most  of  us  to  believe  in  the 
sincerity  of  the  Barotsi  in  their  relations  with  us.  God  can  keep 
us  in  a  den  of  thieves  as  well  as  in  a  desert.  We  believe  that  our 
lives  will  be  respected  ;  as  to  our  goods,  that  is  another  question. 

Tuesday  evening,  the  z^th. 

Last  Sunday  was  the  first  Sunday  we  passed  on  Barotsi 
soil.  It  was  a  most  glorious  day.  The  wind  which  had  blown 
all  the  preceding  week  had  calmed  down  ;  the  sky  was  serene. 
After  the  morning  preaching,  we  all  started  in  a  boat  and  went 
to  visit  our  old  friend  Mahaha,  whom  you  remember.  He  is 
ill,  and  does  not  leave  his  courtyard.  What  a  lovely  trip  it 
was !  The  great  island  that  we  skirted  seemed  to  float  upon 
the  waters,  wearing  like  a  diadem  the  palm  trees  with  which  it 
was  studded.  A  light  mist  veiled  the  whole  panorama,  giving 
glimpses  of  distant  prospects.  The  worthy  Mahaha  could  not 
contain  his  joy  at  receiving  us  in  his  own  home ;  at  every  turn 
he  saluted  each  one  of  us  afresh.  He  wanted  to  know  what  I 
thought  of  Akufuna  ;  and  for  his  part,  he  made  no  secret  of  his 
own  opinion.  "  He  is  the  stuff  batlankas  "  (slaves)  "  are  made 
of,"  he  repeated,  "  but  kings — no  !  "  We  understood  each  other 
without  any  further  explanation.  The  court  is  full  of  village 
inhabitants,  who  are  enchanted  to  see  us  again. 

After  a  short  service,  suited  to  our  audience,  Mahaha  cried, 
"  Shall  it  be  said  that  our  Mother  came  to  see  us,  and  found 
nothing  but  hunger?  "  Immediately  the  women  rose,  and  each 
brought  a  little  dish  of  sorgho,  and  placed  it  at  my  wife's 
feet,  clapping  her  hands.  It  was  charming.  Then  all  these 
people  escorted  us  to  the  bank ;  and  long  after  we  had  taken  to 
our  oars  again,  their  noisy  remarks,  their  hand-clappings  and 
their  "  Shangwes  "  still  reached  our  ears.     It  was  not  the  only 


196  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

pleasure  of  this  happy  day.  The  first  thing  in  the  morning  we 
had  fetched  Ma-Ruthi  and  the  children  of  the  two  Basuto 
families  in  a  boat.  It  was  a  treat  indeed  for  the  children  to 
be  on  the  Zambesi  stream  at  last,  and  to  cross  it  in  our  pretty 
boat,  the  Lcngosa  la  Kiiotso}  We  enjoyed  their  delight,  dear 
little  things !  When  we  brought  them  back,  and  deposited 
them  on  the  steep  bank,  "  Oh,  wasn't  it  nice  ! "  said  Monyai  ;  "  if 
only  we  could  do  it  again  !  "  Who  could  have  dreamed  that 
this  dear  child  was  on  the  point  of  embarking  for  heaven  and 
eternity?  The  next  day  he  complained  of  internal  pains.  The 
complaint  advanced  by  giant  strides,  and  the  following  morning 
he  breathed  his  last,  in  spite  of  our  medicines  and  our  nursing. 
When  we  had  done  crossing  the  river,  we  had  to  retrace  our 
steps,  and  there  on  the  right  bank  of  the  great  stream,  in  the 
shadow  of  a  grove,  to  dig  a  grave  and  tenderly  lay  his  mortal 
remains  there.  He  was  nine  years  old,  sparkling  with  intelli- 
gence, and  with  his  father's  gentle  disposition.  But  the  frequent 
enteric  attacks  from  which  he  suffered  had  stamped  a  look  of 
precocious  maturity  upon  his  little  face.  Once  more,  the 
opening  of  our  work  must  needs  be  consecrated  by  suffering. 
Dear  Monyai  I  it  was  touching  to  sec  him  lying  in  his  grave, 
his  only  coffin  a  light  cotton  blanket. 

He  lay  like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest, 
With  his  martial  cloak  around  him. 

Kazungula,  Augn:t  2C)ih,  1885. 
Is  it  not  splendid  that  the  passage  of  the  Zambesi  has  been 
effected  so  easily  after  all,  and  without  the  smallest  accident  ? 
It  was  a  great  mountain  before  us.  God  has  made  a  plain  of  it. 
Not  one  boat  has  been  capsized  ;  not  a  piece  of  our  waggons 
is  missing  ;  not  a  single  boat  has  been  lost  or  even  injured  ! 
And  we  had  some  cases,  chiefly  of  tools,  which  were  very  big 
and  heavy.  We  were  not  obliged  to  unpack  them,  and  this  was 
a  great  point  gained.  It  was  pretty  to  see  our  waggon  tilts 
with  their  understels  floating  between  two  canoes.  Three  men 
on  each  side  were  enough  to  keep  them  afloat  while  the  others 
rowed.  By  midday  on  Monday  we  had  brought  over  two, 
with  all  the  pieces  and  the  gear.       In  the  evening  our  three 

^  Messenger  of  Peace — not  the  iron  boat  previously  mentioned,  page  120. 
which  had,  unfortunately,  been  destroyed  in  transport,  but  an  old  worn-out  one. 


i885]  A   MEMORABLE   DATE  1 97 

waggons  were  put  together,  and  the  cart  as  well.  They  were 
ready  to  start.  To-day  they  are  loaded.  But  as  we  have  not 
enough  oxen,  and  those  we  have  are  in  terribly  poor  condition, 
we  are  sending  two  small  loads  with  M.  Jeanmairet  and  Middle- 
ton  to  Scsheke,  and  we  shall  remain  here  till  the  poor  beasts 
return  to  seek  us.  The  evangelists  are  already  with  Mokumba 
at  Mambova,  where  we  brought  them.  Now,  you  see,  our 
expedition  is  coming  to  an  end. 

So  we  shall  no  longer  be  all  together.  It  may  be  that  the 
state  of  the  country,  or  the  no  less  serious  state  of  our  oxen, 
will  force  us  to  prolong  our  stay  at  Sesheke,  where  M.  Jean- 
mairet is  going  to  begin  his  work  of  installing  us  ;  but  I  have 
great  hopes  of  at  least  reac/iz'fijf  Sehxla.  before  the  rainy  season. 
How  we  sigh  for  the  moment  when  we  may  at  last  stop  our 
waggons  !     We  sometimes  find  our  pilgrimage  rather  long. 

If  the  expedition  has  succeeded,  it  is  not  because  Satan  has 
let  us  alone.  Often  we  thought  that  he  would  triumph,  and 
that  the  whole  thing  would  burst  like  a  bubble.  God  allowed 
all  that  to  purify  and  strengthen  our  faith.  If  the  expedition 
has  succeeded,  the  mission  also  will  succeed  :  we  are  sure  of  that. 
It  was  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  evangelisation  of  Africa, 
the  day  when  we,  with  our  waggons  and  families,  crossed  the 
Zambesi, — this  barrier  hitherto  insurmountable  to  strangers ; 
above  all,  to  strangers  who  wished  to  settle  north  of  the  river. 
Will  great  sacrifices  of  men  and  money  be  demanded  of 
European  Christians  ?  It  is  possible.  But  the  Gospel  will  not 
retreat.  They  may  rob  us,  they  may  kill  us,  yet  in  a  few- 
years  the  messengers  of  salvation  will  become  a  great  army 
penetrating  even  to  the  heart  of  the  Black  Continent. 

Say  and  repeat  to  our  friends,  that  the  strength  and  develop- 
ment of  our  mission  depend  entirely  upon  their  co-operation. 
Do  not  let  them  wait  till  death  weakens  our  little  staff  before 
sending  help.  I  pray  God  that  our  mission  may  not  be  one  of 
those  rickety  ones,  always  hovering  between  life  and  death, 
only  uttering  sighs  and  groans  of  distress.  The  Christian  world 
has  the  right  to  expect  more  than  a  fire  of  straw  in  the  Barotsi 
Mission.  We  must  not  only  maintain  ourselves,  but  develop. 
We  must  go  on.  This  country  is  only  the  door  of  the  interior. 
The  field  before  us  has  no  limits.  It  is  not  only  to  people  of 
education  and  fortune  in   my  own  country  that   I  appeal,    but 


198  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

to  those  of  any  nation  and  any  denomination.  Christ  must  be 
preached  ;  the  Good  News  must  be  published.  Time  presses. 
Do  not  let  the  traders  outstrip  us !  Let  us  show  that  the 
disciples  of  Christ  also  are  capable  of  noble  enterprises  and  great 
sacrifices.  Speaking  of  the  regrets  expressed  by  Queen  Victoria 
for  the  death  of  John  Brown,  whose  devotion  she  praised,  a 
critic  remarked,  "  Is  there,  can  there  be  devotion  in  serving  a 
Queen  ?  "  Ah,  how  can  we  then  speak  of  sacrifices  and  devotion, 
when  it  is  the  King  of  kings  Whom  we  have  the  signal  honour 
of  serving  !     The  very  angels  envy  us. 

Sesheke,  Upper  Zambesi,  December  12th,  1885, 
This  letter,  which  will  show  you  that  we  have  advanced  a 
step  in  our  pilgrimage  towards  the  interior,  must  be  confided 
to  the  kind  keeping  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  who  have  just 
definitely  quitted  these  regions.  What  a  disastrous  mission 
theirs  has  been  !  Quite  recently,  we  have  heard  of  Father 
Kroot's  death,  that  warm-hearted  man,  with  whom  we  had  such 
pleasant  neighbourly  intercourse.  He  had  gone  to  Matabele-land 
to  die  of  an  illness  which  had  long  been  undermining  his  health. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Jesuit  Mission  only  existed  in  per- 
spective. In  1879,  Father  Dcpclchin  visited  the  Barotsi  capital, 
and  had  a  reception  which  promised  full  success.  The  following 
year,  Father  Burghergge  went  to  begin  the  new  mission,  with 
two  "  brothers,"  of  whom  one  was  drowned  in  the  Loshu. 
Unfortunately  for  them,  neither  he  nor  his  companion  under- 
stood the  language.  They  were  reproached  for  their  lack  of 
sociability,  which  was  taken  for  suspicion  and  contempt ;  and 
the  king — purposely  it  is  affirmed — showed  himself  exacting  and 
rapacious.  Then  came  misunderstandings,  brought  about  by 
the  ill-will  of  certain  chiefs,  and  the  duplicity  of  the  missionaries' 
servants.  In  short,  after  a  sojourn  of  several  months  at  Lealuyi, 
and  without  having  been  able  to  do  anything  towards  settling 
down,  the  Jesuits  found  themselves  obliged  to  evacuate  the 
country.  They  retired  to  Pata-matenga  ;  and  after  five  years' 
isolation,  they  at  last  left  this  forlorn  hope.  If  they  have  not 
succeeded,  they  have  at  any  rate  left  behind  them  the  recollection 
of  a  generous  hospitality,  which  they  exercised  on  every  occasion 
with  the  greatest  cordiality,  together  with  several  tombs,  as 
pledges  of  their  devotion. 


iS85]  A   COUNTER-REVOLUTION  199 

Before  the  Jesuits,  the  L.M.S.  had,  as  you  know,  martyrs 
among  the  Makololo  at  Linyanti  in  1859,'  and  had  been  obliged 
to  retire.  And  now  our  intrepid  young  brother,  Mr.  Arnot,  in 
his  turn,  has  just  definitely  quitted  the  Barotsi  country  to  visit 
other  tribes  farther  north.  All  these  checks  are  not  exactly 
of  good  augury  for  ourselves.  We  do  not  pretend  to  more 
devotion,  nor  to  more  wisdom,  than  our  predecessors,  neither 
have  we  very  great  resources  in  men  or  money.  This  is  true. 
May  God  grant  us  so  much  the  more  the  audacity  of  faith  ! — for 
we  need  it. 

The  Jesuits,  who  are  leaving  Pata-matenga,  remind  me  of 
Dr.  Holub's  expedition,  which  has  just  arrived.  May  the 
sacrifices  of  the  Church  not  be  eclipsed  by  those  of  science  ! 

As  for  ourselves,  we  have  now  been  at  Sesheke  for  nearly 
three  months.  If  we  had  had  draught  oxen,  Aaron  and  his 
family  would  not  have  remained  at  Mambova,  nor  we  here. 
We  should  have  been  at  the  Valley  long  ago,  working  hard  at 
the  foundation  of  our  establishment,  and  the  mission  would 
already  have  occupied  four  instead  of  two  important  posts. 
God  knows  how  we  sigh  for  a  more  settled  life  and  more 
regular  work.  The  gipsy  life  which  we  have  led  for  two  years 
has  a  wonderfully  withering  cff::ct  on  heart  and  soul.  It  is 
difficult  to  accustom  oneself  to  it. 

You  will  recollect  that  several  chiefs  came  to  preside  at 
our  passage  of  the  river.  The  alarm  which  suddenly  dispersed 
them  was  not  unfounded  after  all.  A  counter-revolution  had 
broken  out  in  the  Valley,  and  there  had  been  fighting.  Robosi, 
who  had  taken  refuge  and  established  his  headquarters  on  an 
island  of  the  Mashi,  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Linyanti, 
re-entered  the  capital,  and  seized  the  throne.  Akufuna, 
surprised,  unpopular,  and  half  deserted,  fled  with  Mathaha,  his 
prime  minister.  Quite  recently,  having  rallied  his  partisans, 
he  came  and  took  his  rival  by  surprise.  The  battle,  which 
lasted  a  whole  day,  with  alternating  successes,  was  a  most 
bloody  one.  Nearly  all  the  chiefs  of  both  parties  perished  : 
Serumbo,  Mathaha,  etc.  A  troop  of  black  traders,  come  from  Bihe 
or  the  coast — Mavibari,  as  they  call  them — threw  themselves 
into  the  fray,  and  assured  to   Robosi   a  decisive   victory.     But 

'  See  Livingstone's  "Travels." 


200  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

the  slaughter,  even  for  those  accustomed  to  bloodshed,  was 
awful.  And  even  after  this,  we  fear  we  must  expect  new 
massacres.  It  behoves  royalty  to  be  vindictive  and  bloodthirsty  : 
public  opinion,  paralysed  by  terror,  does  not  protest.  How 
can  one  explain  the  fact  that  so  many  tribes,  groaning  under 
the  yoke  of  the  Barotsi,  do  not  profit  by  such  circumstances 
to  regain  their  independence  ?  Certainly  they  give  themselves 
up  to  pillage  and  to  acts  of  vengeance  and  cruelty,  but  that  is 
all.  Nothing  proves  more  clearly  how  degrading  are  the  effects 
of  slavery. 

The  political  disturbances  have  their  counterpart  at  Sesheke. 
From  the  first  rumours  of  Lewanika's  (Robosi's)  return,  the 
chiefs  divided  into  two  camps  ;  and  their  tempers  growing 
heated  by  jealousies  and  personal  grievances,  a  small  civil  war 
became  imminent.  Either  from  fear  or  distrust  of  each  other, 
or  from  the  necessity  of  ripening  their  plans  of  attack  and 
defence  in  secret,  there  was  a  general  scattering  of  forces. 
Some  took  refuge  in  their  respective  villages,  or  the  woods, 
whence  they  could,  if  necessary,  retreat  with  more  security,  cross 
the  river,  and  leave  the  country.  Others  collected  in  the 
islands,  which  they  look  on  as  natural  fortresses.  All  com- 
munication was  interrupted,  and  then  began  a  system  of  spying, 
false  rumours,  brawls,  and  panics  such  as  are  only  known  in 
Africa.  Jeanmairet,  who  had  preceded  us  to  Sesheke,  witnessed 
all  this  confusion.  He  needed  some  courage  to  remain  all  alone 
with  Seajika  in  a  deserted  neighbourhood,  with  baggage  that 
invited  robbery.  For  the  rogues  and  vagabonds  who  always 
abound  here  do  not  lack  audacity  in  such  times  as  these,  you 
may  be  sure.  But  God  has  watched  over  our  friend,  and  over 
his  lonely  little  hut,  with  no  protection  round  it.  Our  arrival 
did  not  alter  this  state  of  things  in  any  way.  The  chiefs  showed 
us  much  deference,  sent  regularly  to  enquire  after  us,  and  came 
themselves  with  presents  to  welcome  us.  We  also  visited  them 
in  their  various  camps,  and  they  listened  respectfully  to  our 
counsels.  But  all  our  efforts  towards  a  reconciliation  proved 
abortive.  "  Your  intentions  are  good,"  they  said ;  "  you  are 
servants  of  God,  men  of  peace ;  you  have  seen  countries  where 
justice  reigns.  But  you  do  not  know  us  Barotsi  yet.  We  are 
men  of  blood  ;  we  murder  each  other  drinking,  talking,  and 
laughing  together."     Which,  alas !  is  only  too  true. 


iSSs]  PERILS   OF   WILD   BEASTS  201 

Nevertheless,  it  is  something,  if,  as  they  assure  us,  our 
presence  here  prevents  the  two  parties  from  coming  to  blows 
and  killing  each  other.  The  station  is  neutral  ground,  a  city 
of  refuge.  Both  parties  feel  that,  here,  they  would  not  dare 
to  kill  anybody.  When  the  chiefs  of  the  two  parties  meet, 
it  is  not  to  the  village  (a  stone's  throw  from  here)  nor  yet  to 
their  own  houses  that  they  go  ;  they  prefer  to  stop  just  here, 
and  make  shelters  if  they  have  to  pass  the  night.  To  see  them 
sitting  together  under  the  shade  of  a  large  tree,  without  arms — 
except  for  a  stick,  which  in  their  hands  is  a  formidable  weapon — 
taking  snuff,  clapping  their  hands,  scattering  the  usual  ^'Shaugiues" 
and  every  possible  token  of  politeness,  you  would  think  them 
the  most  inoffensive  people  and  the  most  intimate  friends. 
But  as  soon  as  darkness  succeeds  to  twilight,  they  take  their 
arms  and  flee,  each  distrusting  the  other.  It  is  a  saiive  qui  petit 
on  all  sides.  It  is  sad  to  see  this  great  village  of  Sesheke 
deserted  and  falling  to  ruins.  In  spite  of  the  visits  I  have  just 
mentioned,  we  feel  the  isolation  keenly. 

One  would  think  the  very  wild  beasts  knew  we  were 
unprotected.  Crocodiles  swarm  in  the  river-bend  ;  they  attack 
everything ;  our  pigs  fell  victims  to  them  long  ago,  and  our 
dogs  too — those  beautiful  Newfoundlands  that  everyone  admired 
so,  and  that  kept  such  good  watch.  So  valiantly  did  they  hold 
the  wild  beasts  at  bay  that  their  barking  gave  us  no  rest  by 
night ;  now,  the  hy£enas  prey  savagely  upon  our  goats.  For  us, 
it  is  an  irreparable  loss.  There  are  fresh  alarms  every  night  : 
we  fire,  but  kill  nothing  :  and  if  it  goes  on,  we  shall  be  forced 
to  have  recourse  to  strychnine. 

And  if  it  were  only  crocodiles,  hysenas,  and  leopards  that 
we  had  to  combat !  But  the  thieves  give  us  no  respite. 
Doubtless,  they  are  not  more  numerous  than  usual ;  but  since 
there  has  been  no  supreme  authority  recognised,  their  audacity 
baffles  description.  In  the  daytime,  they  come  to  see  us,  ask 
for  snuff,  talk,  and  are  as  friendly  as  possible  ;  and  contrive 
there,  beneath  your  very  eyes,  to  slip  a  knife,  a  hatchet,  napkins, 
or  calico  under  their  armpits.^  In  the  night,  they  force  the 
strongest  locks,  and  the  best  padlocks.     They  respect  nothing. 

'  This  feat  would  not  be  difficult  to  the  large  number  who  draped  themselves 
in  a  piece  of  stuff,  passed  under  one  arm  and  knotted  on  the  other  shoulder. 
Socks  hung  out  to  dry  were  irresistible  for  the  purpose  of  pockets. 


202  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

Did  they  not  even  take  one  of  our  tents  to  make  setsibas  ? 
And  to  whom  should  we  complain  ?     Who  would  do  us  justice  ? 

The  other  day  our  shepherd,  a  charming  boy  named  Sakulala, 
came  all  out  of  breath  to  tell  us  that  a  thief,  and  not  the  first 
one  by  any  means,  had  come  in  broad  daylight,  and  within  gun- 
shot stolen  one  of  our  sheep,  and  taken  to  the  woods.  I  sent  four 
or  five  young  men  after  him,  who  worked  for  us  ;  and  nothing 
could  have  pleased  them  better.  In  the  evening,  they  returned 
in  triumph,  carrying  the  remains  of  the  sheep,  and  leading  the 
prisoner  by  a  halter  round  the  neck.  He  was  a  sturdy  young  man, 
but  he  had  a  wound  in  the  head  from  a  club,  and  his  face  was 
covered  with  blood.  Poor  wretch  !  there  he  was,  kneeling  before 
us,  silently  enduring  the  invectives  his  excited  countrymen  were 
raining  upon  his  head.  But  for  us,  they  would  have  beaten 
him  to  death.  "  A  thief  is  a  dog  !  Have  no  mercy  on  him  ! " 
Such  honest  fellows  as  they  were  themselves  !  My  wife,  moved 
with  pity,  took  him  aside,  washed  his  face,  and  bound  up  his 
wounds.     The  Zambesians  could  not  get  over  their  amazement. 

The  thief,  having  recovered  from  his  fright,  tried  to  work 
upon  my  dear  wife's  feelings.  "  I  am  an  honest  man,  my  Mother. 
I  have  even  been  in  service  with  your  friends  the  Hepburns " 
(of  the  L.M.S.).  "  What  happened  to-day  was  an  accident.  It 
was  God  who  willed  it."  I  put  the  rascal  in  a  boat  with  the 
remains  of  his  booty,  under  the  guard  of  his  captors,  and  sent 
him  to  his  chief.  The  latter,  furious,  ordered  him  to  be  put 
to  death.  I  had  foreseen  this,  and  sent  Seajika  to  intercede  for 
him.  They  were  already  strangling  the  unhappy  man,  when  the 
chief  allowed  himself  to  yield.  "  Go,"  he  said  to  him  ;  "  it  is  to 
the  Moruti  you  owe  your  life."  He  went,  and  threw  himself 
into  the  river,  and  dived  several  times.^  He  had  found  grace 
in  the  sight  of  the  gods,  as  the  crocodiles  did  not  devour  him. 
Then  he  came  and  knelt  before  his  master,  clapping  his  hands, 
and  crying,  "  Shatigwe  I  SJiangive  !  "  The  chief  responded  by 
clapping  his  hands  too,  and  all  was  over. 

The  affair  only  cost  me  the  sheep,  the  fragments  of  which 
were  given  to  the  worthy  Lekhoa,  who  had  so  bravely  captured 
the  thief  This  Lekhoa  was  a  good  worker,  and  a  respectful, 
obedient  young  fellow,  whom  we  greatly  liked.     We  had  never 

'  In  accordance  with  the  Barotsi  custom,  when  a  guilty  man  has  been 
spared  the  punishment  of  his  crime. 


i885]  ELISE   COILLARD'S   WEDDING  203 

had  a  better  Zambcsian  in  our  service  ;  and  when  his  month  was 
up,  and  he  left  us  to  go  home,  we  very  much  regretted  him. 
But  what  was  our  astonishment  to  discover  after  his  departure  that 
he  had  not  gone  empty-handed  either.  He  had  been  tempted 
by  a  pillow-case,  some  towels,  and  I  know  not  what  besides. 
Let  us  close  this  chapter,  and  return  to  it  no  more.  .  .  . 

On  our  arrival  here,  on  September  24th,  after  an  adventurous 
journey,  it  had  been  our  intention  to  go  on,  and  try  to  reach 
the  Valley  before  the  rainy  season.  No  one  opposed  it,  and 
there  was  no  time  to  lose,  for  we  had  to  make  a  road  through 
thick  woods,  infested  with  tse-tse,  through  deep  sand,  rivers,  and 
morasses,  for  a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles.  We  .shall  only 
take  one  waggon,  for  want  of  oxen  ;  and  for  the  sixth  time  since 
leaving  Leribe,  we  shall  leave  our  baggage  behind,  and  only 
take  what  is  indispensable.  With  grass  and  reeds,  a  shelter  is 
soon  made. 

A  great  question  upon  our  minds  was  the  marriage  of  our 
dear  Elise.  We  decided  to  have  it  on  November  4th,  and 
we  gave  it  all  the  publicity  possible.  The  chiefs  of  Scshekc, 
delighted  at  the  news,  sent  us  beforehand  some  presents  of  food 
for  the  occasion.  We  even  hoped  it  might  be  a  means  of 
reconciling  the  two  parties.  On  the  eve  of  the  great  day  came 
messengers  from  Robosi,  who  stopped  at  the  station,  and  sent  for 
the  chiefs  on  both  sides.  Everything  promised  us  a  beautiful 
festival.  I  killed  two  oxen.  We  had  decorated  the  woodwork 
of  the  mission-house  (which  was  in  course  of  construction)  with 
foliage  and  French  flags.  The  hour  approached,  when  all  at 
once  sinister  rumours  began  to  fly.  The  chiefs  were  not  coming  ; 
they  only  spoke  of  fighting.  Panic  seized  everybody,  even  the 
king's  envoys,  and  in  a  few  seconds  we  were  left  alone. 

We  looked  at  each  other  in  silence.  What  was  to  be 
done?  Our  resolution  was  soon  taken.  I  was  just  going  to 
ring  the  bell,  hung  for  the  occasion,  when  I  saw  clouds  of 
dust  at  the  entrance  to  the  woods.  It  was  the  Morantsiane 
and  his  people.  All  those  who  had  fled  returned  ;  and  the 
ceremony  took  place  before  a  grand  assembly.  Raw  meat 
was  then  distributed  to  the  chiefs,  which  was  quite  in  accordance 
with  the  custom  of  the  country  ;  and  while  their  slaves  huddled, 
around  flaming  fires,  were  cooking  or  roasting  it,  chattering 
luneteen    to   the   dozen,   and   the   chiefs   were    talking   in   the 


204  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1885 

Ickhothla,  we  had  our  wedding  breakfast  in  the  hut.  The 
customary  speeches  were  not  lacking.  Aaron  and  Middleton 
each  had  a  good  word  for  the  occasion.  We  were  quite  a 
family  party.  There  was  little  excitement  amongst  us,  but 
we  enjoyed  an  atmosphere  of  serenity  and  happiness,  such  as 
doubtless  the  guests  at  Cana  experienced.  Games  and  races 
filled  up  the  afternoon  pleasantly  enough,  and  in  the  evening 
we  showed  the  magic  lantern.  Just  as  we  thought  all  was 
over,  we  found  Middleton  had  prepared  a  surprise  for  us,  in 
the  shape  of  fireworks — a  Roman  candle,  one  or  two  Bengal 
fires,  a  little  Catherine  wheel  ;  and  when,  for  a  finale,  he  let 
off  a  splendid  rocket,  there  was  a  deafening  explosion  of 
surprise  and  excitement.  They  had  heard  the  old  men  tell 
of  Livingstone's  exhibitions,  and  these  legendary  tales  had 
whetted  their  curiosity,  so  that  the  effect  produced  by  the 
evening's  entertainment  was  quite  indescribable.  "  Look,  there 
is  God's  gun ! "  they  cried,  following  the  rocket  in  the  air, 
with  its  shower  of  many-coloured  stars.  In  the  midst  of  the 
uproar,  some  of  the  chiefs  came  to  me  and  said  confidentially, 
"  Moruti,  you  know  everything  :  which  will  win,  Lewanika  or 
Tatira  (Akufuna)  ?  Surely  you  love  your  son,  the  Morantsiane, 
too  well  to  hide  it  from  him.  You  can  count  on  our  discretion."  ^ 
Robosi,  who  thought  we  were  still  at  Leshoma,  sent  orders 
that  we  should  be  brought  to  Sesheke  at  once.  We  made 
arrangements  with  the  chiefs  to  continue  our  journey  ;  but, 
unfortunately,  the  king's  messengers  had  scarcely  left  us  when 
the  situation  became  worse — nothing  was  to  be  heard  but 
alarms.  Those  who  had  ventured  to  till  their  fields  fled  again, 
and  all  our  people  deserted  us.  From  the  Valley  came  con- 
fused and  contradictory  tidings :  the  spring  rains,  which  we 
had  greeted  with  such  delight,  became  incessant  deluges.  In 
ten  days,  I  collected  975  in.  of  rain,  and  then  my  rain-gauge 
had  been  twice  upset  by  the  oxen.  We  are  assured  that  the 
rivers  are  full,  that  the  valleys  are  now  morasses,  and  that  no 
chief  would  dare  to  leave  his  post  under  present  circumstances. 
Less  than  all  that  would  have  told  us  that,  whether  we  would 
or  no,  we  were  detained  at  Sesheke  till  next  winter. 

1  The  wind-up  of  the  day's  pleasure  was  that  the  boys  and  young  men 
crowded  up,  and  demanded  payment  for  their  exertions  in  playing  games, 
and  it  took  half-an-hour's  discussion  to  silence  them. 


iSSs]  BUILDING   AT   SESHEKE  205 

Shall  I  tell  you  what  feelings  of  grief  and  discouragement 
came  over  us  ?  But  we  cannot  give  way  to  them  for  long  : 
the  torrents  of  rain  force  us  into  action.  Our  tents,  burnt  by 
the  sun,  and  constantly  drenched,  no  longer  shelter  us.  And 
when  the  sun  shines,  and  the  thermometer  rises  to  112°  Fahr., 
they  are  equally  uninhabitable.  So  we  must  build.  They  are 
cutting  posts,  collecting  grass  and  reeds,  and  in  three  weeks  we 
shall  have  a  two-roomed  cottage,  which  will  be  a  little  palace 
for  us  when  it  is  plastered  and  dry.  This  disappointment 
enables  us  to  give  a  good  deal  of  help  to  our  friend  Jeanmairet. 
We  have  only  been  here  three  months,  and  we  have  already 
three  buildings  with  kitchens  and  other  adjuncts.  All  this  is 
only  for  the  time,  but  the  time  may  be  years.  Are  you  not 
astonished  to  see  how  quickly  we  build  ?  I  think  we  leave  the 
Paris  masons  far  behind.  We  will  not  say  anything  about  the 
architecture. 

With  the  blankets  and  stuffs  bought  in  Europe,  we  have 
been  able  to  buy  ten  young  bullocks,  which  we  have  broken  in, 
and  some  cows.  In  Basuto-land,  nothing  is  more  difficult  than 
to  buy  a  cow  or  a  nanny-goat  ;  they  are  the  banks  of  the  flocks. 
Here  it  is  quite  the  contrary.  What  is  the  use  of  keeping  herds 
for  the  future,  when  one  may  be  killed  from  one  day  to  another  ? 
It  is  much  better  to  enjoy  what  one  has,  kill  the  oxen  and  sheep, 
and  sell  the  cows  and  ewes.  A  good  thing  for  us  !  With  plenty 
of  milk,  appetites  and  strength  have  returned.  Our  friend 
Waddell  has  regained  colour  and  flesh  ;  and  except  for  some 
slight  indispositions,  the  health  of  your  friends  at  the  Zambesi 
has  never  been  better.  A  simple  but  regular  diet  is,  I  believe, 
one  of  the  best  febrifuges,  and  we  owe  this  to  the  presence  of 
our  ladies. 

Our  political  horizon  is  also  clearing,  Robosi's  position  is 
stronger.  New  messengers  have  come  from  him  to  arrange 
matters  here,  and  to  call  the  chiefs  and  ourselves  to  the  capital. 
So  it  is  very  probable  that  I  may  leave  at  the  beginning  of 
January.  And  now,  if  you  ask  me  what  are  our  dominant 
feelings,  I  will  say  that  they  are  cheerfulness  and  gratitude. 
Now  that  we  have  crossed  the  Zambesi,  we  are  among  the 
Zambesian  tribes  ;  we  are  at  work,  and  so  are  our  evangelists 
at  Mambova,  near  the  confluence  of  the  Zambesi  and  Linyanti. 
Aaron    wrote    us   the   other   day   that   public   prayer   and  the 


206  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

Sunday  preaching  have  been  well  attended.     They  have  even 
tried  to  organise  a  day  school,  and  have  had  encouragement. 

Sesheke,  January  \sf,   1886. 

The  other  day,  I  wrote  from  Leshoma,  whither  I   had  gone 
to  repair  our  buildings,  and  send  off  our  waggon   to  Pretoria. 
I    had  an    adventurous   journey,  and    returned    after  ten   days' 
absence.      To    my  joy,  I    found    all    my   dear    ones   in    good 
health.     Our   political   horizon    has   suddenly  darkened    again. 
The  repeated  messages  of  the  king  assured  us  he  had  proclaimed 
a  general  amnesty,  and  regretted  the  massacres  which  had  taken 
place.     Several  times  he   had    sent   gracious    messages  to  the 
Morantsiane,  who   had  been  compromised  by  his  relationship 
to  Mathaha,  the   chief  of  the  revolution  ;  he  ordered   him   to 
return  to  Sesheke,  to  till  his  fields  and  dwell  there  in  peace. 
Robosi's   sister,   KJiosi    ea     Mosali,   the    queen,    had    declared 
herself    willing   to   marry   the    Morantsiane,   and    to   settle   at 
Sesheke,  in  order  to  consolidate  the  alliance  of  the  two  parties. 
Peace  was  apparently  re-established.      People  went   from  one 
camp  to  another  to  visit  ;  the  chiefs  exchanged  tobacco,  ground 
corn,  and  were  actively  preparing  canoes  and  provisions  for  the 
journey,  as  the  moon  was  "  darkening."     All   the  chiefs  were 
going   off  together   to  pay  homage  to   the  king.^     There  was 
life  and  stir  everywhere.     The  chief  Ratati  and  the  others  had 
left  their  island,  and  returned  with  their  wives,  children,  and 
cattle.      The  alarms  had  come  to  an  end,  and  we   began    to 
breathe  freely.     During  my  absence,  a  chief  came  from  Robosi, 
with  a  numerous  retinue,  and  established  himself  at  the  station, 
declaring  that,  as  he  was  commissioned  to  escort  me  to  the 
capital,  he  would  wait  patiently  for  my  return.      Would  you 
believe  that  all  this  was  only  to  hide  a  plot  ? 

Just  before  the  new  moon,  in  the  nights  of  December  26th 
and  27th,  the  chiefs  of  Robosi's  party,  who  had  assembled  their 
people  in  the  woods,  fell  upon  the  Morantsiane's  village,  and 
there  gave  themselves  up  to  rob  and  murder  to  their  hearts' 
content.  The  Morantsiane  fought  his  way  through  the  chiefs 
that  surrounded  him,  and  escaping  the  sight  of  the  Barotsi  chiefs, 
succeeded   in   reaching  the   forest.      But   they  have   seized  all 

*  As  soon  as  the  new  moon  should  appear. 


i886]  A   REIGN    OF   TERROR  207 

tlie  canoes  on  the  river,  and  arc  vigilantly  guarding  all  the 
fords  ;  and  on  the  tracks  of  the  unfortunate  chief  they  have  set 
troops  of  young  men,  who  will  hunt  him  down  like  a  wild  beast. 
Will  there  be  found  no  compassionate  soul  to  save  the  life  of 
this  unhappy  fugitive,  who  has  now  neither  hearth  nor  home  ? 
It  seems  that  Mathaha  committed  atrocities  which  the  pen 
refuses  to  describe,  not  only  on  Robosi's  partisans,  but  also  on 
his  wives  and  children.  Robosi  has  sworn  to  avenge  himself, 
and  to  spare  neither  position,  age,  nor  sex  in  any  member  of 
Mathaha's  family/ 

Terror  is  at  its  height  among  the  aristocracy  of  the  country. 
The  slaves  rejoice  ;  for  them  it  is  only  a  change  of  masters, 
and  they  press  after  the  "  conquerors,"  as  they  call  them,  and 
want  to  take  their  own  share  in  murder  and  robbery.  The 
young  men  in  our  service— except  Nguana-Ngombe  and 
Kamburu,  have  not  been  able  to  resist  the  general  impulse, 
and  have  left.  The  country  is  in  a  fearful  confusion.  We  do 
not  know  when  these  massacres  will  stop,  nor  what  will  come 
out  of  this  chaos.  Living  among  such  people,  whose  feet  are 
so  swift  to  shed  blood,  one  feels  one's  dependence  upon  God. 
In  these  times,  we  pass  through  hard  and  humiliating  experiences. 
The  chiefs  are  generally  very  pleasant  to  us,  and  many  boast 
of  our  friendship.  But  we  are  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  their 
slaves,  who  deceive,  insult,  and  rob  us,  without  any  authority 
bestirring  itself  to  do  justice  and  protect  us.  This  is,  perhaps, 
the  darkest  point  in  our  life  on  the  Zambesi.  But  there  it 
stands,  "  He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most  High 
shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty." 

The  individual  who  came  from  the  king  to  fetch  us  is  the 
same  who  was  charged  to  deliver  him  from  those  he  calls  his 
enemies.  The  rains  have  begun  early  this  year,  the  river  is 
rising,  the  low  parts  of  the  country  are  already  submerged,  and 
travelling  by  canoe  is  becoming  more  and  more  dangerous  and 
difficult.  On  the  other  hand,  Middleton  is  on  the  way  to 
Pretoria  ^  (this  letter  will  catch  him  at  Leshoma),  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  Aaron  can  accompany  me  this  time.  The  same 
prudential  reasons  as  last  year  will  again  keep  Jeanmairet  here. 

'  See  later  on,  page  214. 

*  Fur  supplies,  business  at  Pata-matenga  and  Shoshong  being  at  a  standstill. 


208  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

So  I  must  go  alone  with  this  Barotsi  chief  when  he  has 
accompHshed  his  bloody  mission.  God  will  protect  me.  May 
He  soften  Robosi's  heart !  All  they  say  of  him  conveys  the 
impression  that  he  is  an  intelligent  man,  generous  on  occasions, 
but  also  a  vinciictivc,  suspicious  tyrant,  and  alas  !  thirsting  for 
blood.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  for  me  to  see  him  before  we 
all  definitely  leave  this  place  for  the  Valley.  In  spite  of  all  the 
messages,  full  of  amiability,  which  he  has  sent  us  since  he  has 
returned  to  power,  we  clearly  foresee  that  our  position  near  him 
will  not  be  exactly  a  bed  of  roses.  But  do  not  be  anxious  on 
our  account. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

Second  Journey  to  the  Capital — A  Zambesian  Charybdis — The  Hunter's 
Paradise — Boat  lost  in  the  Rapids — Vandalism — Nalolo  and  Queen 
Mokvvae— An  Unexpected  Meeting — King  Lewanika — Lealuyi — Visit 
of  the  Chief  Moreini — The  Barotsi  Lckkoihla—Conv&xs^\\on  with  the 
King — Barotsi  Legends — The  Natamoyo— Sunday  Service — Back  to 
Sesheke — Visit  to  Mambova — Murder  and  Cattle-lifting— An  Appeal — 
Middleton  returns  from  Pretoria — Dr.  Holub. 

Sesheke,  Upper  Zambesi,  April  19M,   1886. 

I  HAVE  just  returned  from  a  second  journey  to  the  capital. 
Since  the  counter-revolution  which  brought  him  back  to 
power,  Robosi  (or  Lewanika)  has  sent  us  message  after  message, 
earnestly  entreating  us  to  visit  him.  We  ourselves  desired  no 
less  earnestly  to  do  so,  not  only  in  the  interests  of  our  mission, 
but  also  because  of  the  pillage  and  murder  which  are  desolating 
the  country.  Having  no  canoes  ourselves,  we  were  at  the  mercy 
of  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke  ;  and  they,  demoralised  by  the  execution 
of  the  king's  vengeance,  kept  vacillating  and  putting  us  off 
from  day  to  day.  Weeks  passed  thus.  I  had  patience  till 
February  26th,  which,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  was  not  sorry  to  pass 
in  the  family  circle,  as  it  was  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  our 
marriage.  But  when  once  this  day  was  over,  I  decided  to  start 
on  foot,  with  two  or  three  donkeys,  and  quietly  made  my 
preparations.  The  chiefs  got  wind  of  this,  and  were  roused. 
I  soon  obtained  my  crew  and  two  canoes,  one  for  me,  and  the 
other  for  the  petty  chief  who  was  to  accompany  me,  and  the 
baggage  belonging  to  his  people.  It  does  not  take  much  to 
crowd  one  of  these  troughs  that  they  call  boats.  Each  man  has 
his  mat,  his  gourd,  his  bowl  ;  and  when  everything  is  piled  into 
the  dug-out,  it  seems  as  though  it  must  capsize. 

Our  dear  Jeanmairet's  place  was  clearly  marked  out ;  he  had 
to  remain  at  Sesheke.     I    did  not  care  to  hamper  myself  with 

209  14 


210  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

Levi,  who  is  not  a  good  traveller  ;  and  Aaron,  in  spite  of  his 
great  desire  to  accompany  me,  could  not.  The  chiefs  did  not 
fail  to  make  a  great  fuss,  and  protest  their  uneasiness  at  seeing 
me  start  alone ;  but  I  easily  soothed  their  anxieties  !  On  review- 
ing my  crew,  I  was  glad  to  see  they  had  apparently  made  a 
good  choice.  My  ten  Masubia  ^  were  mostly  full-grown  men  ; 
and  my  mentor,  still  a  young  fellow,  was  a  neighbouring  petty 
chief,  with  whom  we  had  had  very  pleasant  intercourse. 

A  separation  in  this  country  always  has  something  particu- 
larly sad  and  solemn  in  it.  But  this  time  it  was  very  far  from 
being  what  it  had  been  the  year  before.  Circumstances  have 
changed.  We  are  in  the  country,  and  are  all  well.  So  we  can 
say  good-bye  with  all  the  serenity  that  comes  from  obedience  to 
duty  and  utter  confidence  in  God. 

We  left  on  March  6th.  I  was  not  mistaken  in  my  Masubia. 
They  showed  unflagging  good-will,  and  made  it  a  point  of 
honour  to  give  me  pleasure.  Mokumoa-Kumoa,  the  chief, 
set  the  example.  As  soon  as  we  disembarked,  he  was  always 
the  first  to  set  up  my  little  tent,  construct  the  shelters,  and 
search  for  wood.  I  hunted  waterfowl  ;  he  supplied  big  game — 
a  zebra,  or  an  antelope  ;  so  we  never  lacked  meat.  In  the 
evening,  at  the  camp,  I  taught  them  a  hymn,  and  we  talked  of 
the  things  of  God.  Our  conversations  were  often  very  long  and 
deeply  interesting. 

At  this  season,  when  the  waters  are  rising,  the  navigation 
of  the  river  is  difilicult,  and  particularly  dangerous  at  the  rapids. 
So,  faithful  to  the  promise  I  had  given  at  parting  to  my  dear 
wife  and  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke,  who  seemed  anxious  for  the 
safety  of  my  person,  I  conscientiously  went  on  dry  land  at  every 
dangerous  place.  At  the  beginning,  we  had  to  lose  some  time 
in  hunting  ;  but  when  once  our  purpose  in  so  doing  was  fulfilled, 
I  wished  to  push  on,  and  my  people  were  quite  willing.  One 
day,  we  arrived  at  Matome's  little  village,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  rapids.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  all  my  people 
vanished  ;  and  when  at  last  Mokumoa-Kumoa  and  the  boatmen 
did  reappear,  it  was  to  tell  me,  with  long  faces,  that  we  must 
spend  the  night  there.  It  was  only  two  o'clock.  In  vain  I 
protested  :  not  one  oarsman  would  take  his  place  in  the  boat, 

1  Nearly  all  the  canoe-paddlers  are  drawn  from  the  Masubia  tribe,  as  they 
are  considered  the  most  expert. 


i886]  A  ZAMDESIAN   CHARYBDIS  211 

and  I  had  at  last  to  give  in.  I  could  not  understand  this 
singular  strike  ;  but  when  we  were  once  encamped,  Mokumoa- 
Kumoa  came  and  sat  beside  me.  "  My  Father,"  he  said,  "  this 
is  Matome's  village  ;  and  with  the  best  will  in  the  world  we 
cannot  pass  beyond.  Perhaps  you  don't  know  that  a  serpent 
dwells  in  these  parts,  an  enormous  monster  with  several  heads. 
If  any  one  is  unlucky  enough  to  pass  close  by  its  lair,  it  suddenly 
makes  the  water  boil  in  the  most  terrific  fashion  ;  and  then 
swallows  everything  up — canoes,  oars,  baggage,  and  rowers. 
Nothing  escapes.  As  we  don't  know  the  monster's  whereabouts, 
Ratali  and  the  lords  of  Sesheke  ordered  us  to  take  Matome 
to  guide  us.  Unfortunately,  Matome  is  away.  What  shall 
we  do  ? " 

Next  day,  in  default  of  Matome,  two  of  his  sons  acted  as 
our  guides.  They  sat  in  a  tiny  canoe,  which  the  current  carried 
away  like  a  cockle-shell,  when  we  passed  from  one  bank  to 
another.  Near  the  junction  of  the  River  Lumbe,  they  slackened 
their  speed,  then  stopped,  and  showed  us  on  the  opposite  shore 
a  great  sand-bank,  saying  in  low  tones,  "  That  is  where  he  lies." 
I  wanted  to  ask  a  question.  "  Hush  !  "  they  said ;  "  you  must  not 
speak  of  him  while  on  the  water."  I  asked  later  on  if  tJicy  had 
ever  seen  the  monster.  "Seen  him?  No!  He  is  only  known 
to  the  king,  and  to  the  great  ones  of  the  realm.  They  possess 
a  medicine,  but  they  keep  it  secret.  If  the  hydra  attacks  one 
of  their  canoes,  the  master  at  once  offers  it  his  belt.^  Then  you 
see  the  canoes  shoot  to  the  bank  like  an  arrow." 

Mr.  VVestbeech,  who  had  preceded  me  up  the  Valley,  told 
me  that  his  canoe  one  day  ran  into  a  bank  of  quicksand. 
Every  stroke  of  the  oar  made  the  water  boil  in  an  extraordinary 
manner,  but  did  not  advance  the  pirogue.  All  his  people  were 
paralysed  with  terror.  Mr.  Westbeech  seized  the  paddle,  and 
succeeded,  though  not  without  difficulty,  in  floating  the  canoe 
off ;  and  his  rowers  began  to  breathe  again.  And  then,  to  hear 
them  relate  the  adventure  ! 

One  can  never  tire  of  admiring  the  region  of  the  rapids 
^^•hich  I  described  last  year.  One  would  think  that  the  river, 
wearied  with  its  leaps  and  struggles  among  the  rocks,  was 
gathering  itself  together  for  fresh  combats  while  flowing  limpidly 

■  The  chiefs  wear  as  charms  belts  made  of  an  entire  snake  skin. 


212  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [i886 

between  its  verdant  banks.  The  arborescent  vegetation,  though 
not  at  all  tropical  in  character,  is  nevertheless  relieved  here  and 
there  by  wild  date  palms,  of  which  the  natives  are  very  fond. 
This  is  the  hunter's  paradise,  haunted  by  elephants,  buffaloes, 
and  other  big  game.  Often,  at  the  sound  of  a  low  whistle, 
we  run  our  boats  into  the  reeds,  and  stepping  on  land  very 
cautiously,  we  catch  sight  of  troops  of  buffaloes  or  antelopes, 
which  gallop  away  at  the  slightest  sound.  I  have  also  met  with 
more  villages  than  last  year  ;  which,  however,  is  not  to  say 
that  the  country  is  populated. 

The  news  of  my  arrival  had  spread  abroad,  and  the  poor 
Makalaka,  instead  of  fleeing  to  hide,  were  happy  to  come  and 
speak  to  us.  One  day,  we  met  three  little  canoes  ;  it  was  the 
head  of  the  village  going  to  do  homage  to  his  new  chiefs,  and 
the  worthy  man  immediately  turned  back  to  prepare  provisions 
for  our  journey.  We  had  to  sleep  at  his  village,  which  upset 
all  my  plans.  But  I  had  no  reason  to  regret  it,  for,  besides  the 
reception  he  gave  us,  it  was  an  opportunity  for  speaking  of  the 
Gospel.  The  next  day,  another  Makalaka  chief  was  waiting  for 
me,  at  the  entrance  to  his  village,  with  a  dish  of  pumpkin,  and 
pressed  me  to  pass  the  day  with  him.  I  had  to  refuse.  "  In 
that  case,  why  did  you  not  come  to  spend  the  night  with 
Matokomela?"  (his  name).  "Do  you  think  that  I  don't  know 
how  to  receive  strangers  as  well  as  he  does  ?  " 

We  must  beware  of  generalising  from  such  facts,  and  giving 
them  an  importance  they  do  not  possess.  These  poor  people 
have  no  idea  of  the  Gospel,  but  they  feel  that  those  who  preach 
it  are  men  of  peace,  and  protectors  of  the  unfortunate. 

At  Seoma,  we  met  two  large  canoes  and  some  men,  whom 
the  king,  in  his  impatience,  had  sent  to  fetch  us.  In  the 
night,  one  of  my  boats,  which  had  remained  below  the  falls,  was 
carried  away  by  the  current.  At  family  worship,  I  asked  God 
to  give  it  back  to  us.  "It  is  no  use  for  you  to  trouble  God 
about  it,"  said  my  Masubia  ;  "  the  Zambesi  does  not  play  here- 
abouts. The  boats  it  carries  away  one  never  finds  again."  I 
took  one  of  the  king's  canoes,  and  we  pursued  our  way. 

In  two  days,  we  came  to  Senanga,  the  entrance  of  the  Valley. 
The  inundation,  though  very  late  this  year,  was  nevertheless  so 
high  that  we  left  the  river,  and  took  a  short  cut  to  Nalolo, 
across    the    plain.       We    soon    found    ourselves    entangled    in 


^ 
s 


VANDALISM  213 

masses  of  reeds  and  inextricable  jungles,  where  we  were  buried 
upright,  and  from  which  we  only  escaped  with  many  scratches. 
Where  the  grass  and  reeds  were  shorter,  every  stroke  of  the 
paddle  stirred  up  clouds  of  mosquitoes,  flies,  and  insects  of  every 
kind,  which  filled  our  eyes,  ears,  and  nostrils.  A  veritable 
plague  of  Egypt !  There  were  also  fish  leaping,  water-tortoises 
exploring  their  new  domains,  and  from  time  to  time  a  snake 
swimming,  which  invariably  tried  to  get  into  our  boats.  All 
this  caused  some  excitement  among  us,  and  broke  the  monotony 
of  the  voyage.  The  sun  was  scorching.  To  keep  on  sitting, 
that  is  to  say  crouching,  in  the  canoe  was  to  condemn  oneself 
to  suffocation  ;  so  I  stood  up,  at  the  risk  of  a  ducking.  Not  a 
village,  not  a  hamlet,  to  be  seen  ;  before,  behind,  right,  and  left, 
nothing  but  the  plain,  with  its  reeds  and  rushes,  and  the  water, 
which  in  some  places  rose  above  them,  and  reflected  the  sun  as 
in  a  mirror.  Nothing  could  be  more  melancholy  than  this 
journey.  But  from  time  to  time  we  suddenly  entered  a  pool  as 
if  by  surprise — a  perfect  garden  made  by  God  to  bloom  in  these 
solitudes,  doubtless  for  the  admiration  of  His  angels.  The 
surface  of  such  a  sheet  of  water  was  invariably  covered  with 
water-lilies,  blue,  pink,  and  white  as  snow.  There  were  yellow 
and  even  green  ones.  Some  were  large  and  double  like  roses, 
others  coquettishly  displayed  their  petals  like  five  little  miniature 
feathers  of  fairy-like  delicacy  on  the  green  background  of  their 
leaves.  All  scented  the  air  with  their  perfume.  My  Masubia 
had  no  appreciation  for  this  picture  which  charmed  me  so.  They 
fell  upon  the  aquatic  plants,  and  tore  off  the  stalks  to  mix 
them  with  their  tobacco,  and  the  roots  to  regale  themselves 
with.     Alas !  vandalism  rages  everywhere. 

On  March  20th  we  reached  Nalolo.  You  remember  this 
is  the  second  capital  of  the  kingdom.  From  ancient  times, 
it  has  been  the  custom  of  Barotsi  kings  to  collaborate  with  one 
of  their  sisters  in  the  government  of  the  realm  :  sometimes 
it  is  their  mother.  This  queen  has  her  court,  her  drums,  her 
seriinbas,  and  surrounds  herself  with  all  the  ceremonial  in  usage 
at  the  king's  own  court.  She  sits  in  the  lekhothia,  discusses 
state  affairs,  judges  lawsuits.  She  is  saluted  like  the  king  with 
"  Tautona"^  and  "  Yo-sJio"  the  salutations  reserved  for  royalty 

^  Lion  {iiot  lioness). 


214  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

alone.  People  prostrate  themselves  before  her,  and  nobody  has 
the  right  to  sit  in  her  presence,  not  even  her  husband,  the 
Mokwe  Tunga  (Son-in-law  of  the  Nation),  who  is  only  a  servant, 
and  can  be  dismissed  at  her  pleasure.  Perhaps  it  would  be 
going  too  far  to  say  she  was  polyandrous  ! 

When  her  majesty  is  not  sitting  in  the  lekhothla,  she  retires 
into  a  hut  surrounded  by  two  courts.  There  she  grants  private 
audiences.  Whichever  way  one  looks,  the  eye  falls  on  some 
kind  of  charm.  In  the  court,  there  are  generally  young  slaves 
attached  to  the  queen's  service,  and  occupied  under  her  direction 
in  weaving  fancy  mats  or  working  in  beads.  It  was  here  that 
Mokwae  ^  received  me.  She  was  not  a  stranger  to  me.  I  had 
seen  her  the  year  before,  a  prisoner  at  Mathaha's,  where  she 
would  have  been  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a  slave,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  that  good  Maibiba,  who  at  that  time  was  queen, 
in  spite  of  herself.  I  had  managed  then  to  have  a  little  con- 
versation with  her,  and  it  seems  this  had  consoled  her  and 
raised  her  courage.  This  time,  I  found  her  sitting  on  a  mat, 
under  a  thatched  roof.  As  soon  as  she  saw  me,  she  began  to 
laugh ;  she  held  out  her  hand,  and  made  me  sit  opposite  to  her. 
Still  laughing,  she  looked  fixedly  at  me  for  a  few  moments, 
and  at  last,  betraying  the  course  of  her  thoughts,  she  cried  out 
in  a  tone  that  startled  me,  "  Mathaha !  Mathaha  !  We  have 
slain  him  and  all  his ! " 

She  introduced  her  children,  who,  by  the  way,  never  call  her 
mother,  but  More7mf  always  sit  behind  her,  and  never  on  her 
mat  ;  and  then,  while  a  charming  little  girl  stood  between  my 
knees,  playing  with  my  watch-chain,  we  soon  found  ourselves 
engaged  in  a  most  captivating  conversation.  She  related  to  me 
all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  revolution — her  flight  from  Mathaha's 
village,  the  devotion  of  her  partisans,  who,  while  the  fortunes 
of  war  were  against  them,  brought  her  by  forced  marches  to 
Seoma,  and  thence  for  greater  safety  to  the  River  Mashi,  a 
tributary  of  the  Linyanti,  where,  later  on,  her  brother  joined 
her.  She  continued  her  tale  of  thrilling  interest,  to  the  great 
victory  at  Lealuyi,  which  confirmed  Lewanika's  power,  and 
concluded  by  exclaiming  with  loud  peals  of  laughter,  "  We  have 

'  Pronounced  Mo-kwy-ee,  sometimes  written  Moquai. 
^  More7ia  means  "chief"  ;  it  is  exactly  equivalent  to  "  lord."     The  queen's 
dignity  is  indicated  by  her  always  being  addressed  with  mascnlifte  titles. 


i886]  THE   QUEEN'S   VENGEANCE  21  5 

utterly  destroyed  Mathaha  and  his  gang,  and  their  bones  arc 
bleaching  in  the  sun.  And  the  insolence  of  these  sorcerers  to 
beg  for  mercy  !  Mercy  indeed  !  We  threw  them  out  on  the 
veldt  to  the  vultures.  That  was  our  mercy  !  "  These  shouts 
of  laughter,  these  exulting  tones,  and  the  insatiable  vengeance 
they  proclaimed,  made  me  shudder.  My  eyes  were  riveted 
on  this  woman  :  I  listened  as  in  a  dream.  I  knew  her  of  old. 
Rather  more  than  two  years  ago,  her  prime  minister,  named 
Pakalita,  offended  her.  One  day,  when  she  was  giving  the 
people  a  feast  oi  yoala}  she  had  Pakalita  called  to  her  private 
house,  talked  to  him  for  some  time,  gave  him  a  pot,  and  left 
him  alone  with  a  band  of  men  who  were  to  murder  him. 
But  the  slaves  were  intimidated  by  the  presence  of  this 
venerable  old  man,  so  universally  respected.  For  a  long  time 
Mokwae  awaited  the  execution  of  her  orders  in  the  court,  and 
at  last  re-entered  impatiently.  "  What  !  "  she  cried  ;  "  you  are 
given  orders,  and  this  is  the  way  you  carry  them  out !  Seize 
him  ! "  Then,  arming  herself  with  an  old  Portuguese  sabre, 
she  herself,  with  one  stroke,  cut  the  old  man's  head  off.  She 
made  them  throw  the  corpse  into  a  neighbouring  court,  and 
then  seated  herself  in  the  lekhothla  as  usual.  Towards  evening, 
the  public  crier  announced :  "  The  queen  informs  you  that 
she  has  pulled  a  troublesome  thorn  out  of  her  foot."  It  was 
understood,  and  it  made  a  great  impression.  This  was  one 
of  the  causes  of  the  revolution.  Yet  Mokwae  has  her  partisans 
and  admirers. 

She  received  us  cordially,  and  in  the  evening  she  sent  us 
the  ox  of  welcome — a  fine,  fat  one.  The  next  day,  a  large 
assembly  met  at  the  lekhoiJila  to  hear  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  They  were  astonished,  serious,  and  attentive.  I  felt 
myself  to  be  upheld  and  blessed,  and  both  preached  and  sang 
without  fatigue.  Afterwards,  Mokwae  invited  me  to  her  house. 
In  the  court,  what  was  my  surprise  to  see  her  take  off  her 
calico  robe  before  three  or  four  traders  from  Bihe  !  These 
gentlemen  were  evidently  tailors.  One  examined  the  sleeves  ; 
another  pinched  her  about  the  shoulders  ;  a  third  fitted  the 
bodice.  "  I  only  hope,"  I  said  to  myself,  "  that  they  won't 
ask   my  advice."      During  this  scene,   I    did  not  know  which 

'  Native  beer. 


2l6  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

way  to  look,  and  felt  relieved  when  I  found  myself  alone 
with  Mokwae.  She  invited  me  into  her  hou^5e,  a  spacious  one, 
and  admirably  clean.  While  some  young  girls  waited  on  her, 
I  sat  opposite  on  a  roll  of  mats.  She  handed  me  a  cracked 
old  accordion.  "  Now,"  she  said,  "  play  me  something."  I 
willingly  played  a  tune,  then  another,  then  a  third.  Memories 
of  childhood,  sacred  ones  to  mc,  thronged  into  my  mind,  and 
melancholy  stole  over  me.  At  last,  I  returned  the  instrument 
to  Mokwae.  She  seized  it  triumphantly,  ran  her  fingers  over 
the  keys  with  surprising  agility,  drawing  from  them  a  cacophony 
which  evidently  enchanted  her.  Then,  growing  excited,  she 
began  to  sing.  I  passed  half  an  hour  listening  in  utter  amaze- 
ment to  this  strange  serenade.  Surprised  at  my  calmness, 
she  ended  by  putting  down  the  accordion,  and  saying  with 
much  satisfaction,  "  You  see  I  know  how  to  play  too."  I 
should  think  so,  indeed  !     She  had  quite  eclipsed  me. 

She  then  asked  permission  to  visit  the  islet  where  I  had 
camped.  I  took  the  precaution  of  sending  some  one  to  hide 
the  objects  which  might  excite  her  greed.  I  gave  her  my 
very  best  reception,  and  a  cup  of  black  coffee  without  sugar, 
which  she  forced  herself  to  swallow  out  of  politeness  ;  and  I 
made  her  a  present  of  a  pretty  striped  blanket,  which  she  received 
with  her  usual  brusquerie.  But  you  should  have  seen  her  face 
and  her  excitement  when  I  showed  her  my  photographs.  At 
the  sight  of  Mathaha's,  she  started  back  in  terror.  "  Sefano ! 
Sefano  !  "  ^  she  cried  ;  "  the  infamous  wretch  !  These  people  " 
(meaning  mc)  "  are  dreadful :  they  carry  the  living  and  the  dead 
in  their  pockets."  Then  taking  fresh  courage  and  smiling 
cynically,  she  repeated,  "  But  we  have  destroyed  this  Sefano." 

What  a  contrast  between  her  and  her  cousin  Maibiba,  whom 
I  introduced  to  you  last  year.  Poor  Maibiba !  After  the  fall 
of  Tatira  (Akufuna),  she  took  to  flight ;  but  Lewanika,  who 
respects  her  very  highly,  was  easily  moved  to  clemency,  and 
sent  to  bring  her  back  to  the  country. 

On  Monday,  March  22nd,  at  daybreak,  our  canoes  were 
laded,  and  we  started  for  Lealuyi.  It  was  a  beautiful  morning, 
with  a  fresh  breeze  and  a  radiant  sun  which  revived  every  one's 
spirits  after  the  rains  of  the  day  before  and  the  damp  tent. 

'  Mathaha's  other  name.     Most  of  the  Barotsi  have  several  names. 


KING   LEWANIKA  217 

Towards  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  as  we  approached  a 
village,  we  noticed  groups  of  men  and  canoes,  and  great 
animation.  It  was  the  king,  Lewanika,^  who  had  been  making 
a  great  pilgrimage  to  the  tombs  of  his  ancestors  during  the 
last  few  da\'s  with  a  considerable  retinue.  We  had  been  hearing 
the  drums  all  the  morning.  As  we  approached,  a  canoe  shot 
across  the  water,  and  was  soon  alongside  of  us.  "  Slop  !  do 
not  go  on  !  The  king  wishes  to  know  who  you  are."  I  was 
astounded  to  sec  that  the  man  who  addressed  me  was  none 
other  than  Mokaiw.  Now  this  Mokano,  during  one  of  my 
absences  from  Leshoma,  had  so  grossly  misconducted  himself 
towards  our  ladies  that  I  had  had  to  bring  him  before  the 
lekJwtJda  of  the  chiefs  at  Sesheke,  and  reprimand  him  sharply. 
"Do  you  recognise  me?"  he  asked,  as  he  saluted  me.  "  Oh  yes, 
Mokano ;  go  and  tell  the  king  that  I  am  here."  He  returned 
a  moment  later.  "  The  king  orders  you  to  come  to  the  village, 
and  pray  to  one  of  the  gods  of  the  nation.  Take  an  offering 
of  white  calico  with  you  ;  a  very  little  will  be  enough." 

"  Go  and  tell  the  king  that  we  do  not  pray  to  the  dead.  I  have 
come  to  teach  him  to  pray  to  the  only  true  God,  the  living  God." 

Mokano  seemed  to  fly ;  he  soon  returned.  "  The  king 
understands  your  reasons,  and  excuses  you  from  praying  at 
the  tomb.  He  only  asks  a  yard  of  white  calico,  and  he  will 
pray  for  you." 

"  Tell  him,"  I  replied,  "  that  I  wish  to  see  him,  and  speak 
to  him  myself." 

My  canoe-men  could  hardly  contain  their  indignation  any 
longer  ;  they  could  not  understand  my  obstinacy.  Mokano  went 
off  with  a  triumphant  grin.  I  had  not  long  to  wait  for 
Lewanika's  answer.  "  The  king  cannot  see  you  ;  you  must 
first  give  the  little  piece  of  calico  he  asks  for  ;  he  must  have 
it."  So  there  I  was,  involved  in  a  broil  which  Mokano  did 
not  fail  to  foment,  without  the  possibility  of  a  personal  interview 
with  Lewanika  to  explain  my  reasons.  I  gave  the  yard  of 
calico,  and  soon  the  noisy  "  Yo-sJios  "  which  echoed  through  the 
air  told  me  what  had   been  done  with  it.     The   Barotsi  gods 

'  Hitherto  called  Robosi,  or  Loboshi,  "  the  escaped  one,"  because  lie  was 
born  while  his  mother  was  fleeing  from  the  Makololo.  On  his  accession  to 
the  throne  after  exile,  he  retained  only  the  name  of  Lewanika.  The  Barotsi 
make  scarcely  any  distinction  of  sound  between  /  and  r. 


2l8  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

are  satisfied  with  very  little,  a  rag  of  calico,  a  necklace  of  beads, 
only  they  must  be  white — no  other  colour  is  tolerated  in  their 
Elysium.^ 

Soon  a  boat,  covered  with  a  tent  of  mats,  glided  alongside 
of  mine,  and  a  man  of  about  thirty-five  glided  out  of  it.  He 
was  strong,  well-built,  and  intelligent-looking,  with  prominent 
eyes  and  pendulous  lower  lip.  His  whole  clothing  consisted  of 
the  skins  of  small  wild  animals,  attached  in  bundles  round  his 
loins.  He  held  out  his  hand,  smiling:  '' Ltiviela,  Moruti  oa 
ka  Niate''  ("I  greet  thee,  my  missionary,  my  father").  This 
royal  apparition  took  all  my  people  by  surprise.  "  Prostrate 
yourselves,"  cried  those  in  the  canoes  that  now  surrounded  us, 
"  mo  sJioaelele!^  But  no  !  they  were  abashed,  each  kneeling  at 
his  post,  nervously  clapping  his  hands.  Only  Mokumoa-Kumoa 
in  the  bows  of  his  canoe  did  it  according  to  rule.  Standing  up, 
he  raised  his  hands  and  cried  out  for  every  one,  "  Tautona ! 
Yo-sho  !  "  then  knelt  down,  and  taking  water  in  his  hands,  tossed 
it  over  his  arms  and  chest,  rubbed  his  forehead  at  the  bottom 
of  his  boat,  clapped  his  hands,  and  poured  forth  a  stream  of 
laudatory  epithets  to  Lewanika.  This  is  what  they  call  the 
s/ioalela. 

The  king  did  not  seem  to  pay  any  attention  to  all  these 
demonstrations.  He  expressed  the  pleasure  he  had  in  meeting 
me ;  enquired  after  our  health  and  my  voyage  ;  offered  to  share 
a  roast  goose  with  me  ;  and  then,  as  he  had  to  continue  his 
pilgrimage,  he  arranged  to  meet  me  at  the  capital.  We  then 
formed  a  procession  of  boats.  The  king  had  fifteen,  his  wife's 
was  manned  by  nine  rowers.  All  these  men  were  decked  out 
with  the  skins  of  wild  beasts  and  bright-coloured  stuffs,  floating 
from  their  shoulders.  At  the  end  was  the  canoe  carrying  the 
enormous  drums  and  kettledrums,  which  the  men  beat  furiously. 
They  are  only  sounded  in  war  time,  or  on  occasions  like  the 
present.  The  noise  is  deafening,  and  can  be  heard  to  a  great 
distance.  We  followed  the  royal  procession  for  some  time,  and 
then,  as  it  turned  off  to  other  tombs,  we  went  on  to  Lcaluyi, 
where  we  arrived  towards  five  o'clock.     The  arrival  of  the  king 

'  See  Miss  Kingsley's  "Travels  in  West  Africa"  :  "  White  cloth  is  anatiienia 
to  the  missions,  for  it  is  used  for  Ju-ju  offerings,  and  a  rule  has  to  be  made 
against  its  being  given  to  the  unconverted,  or  the  missionary  becomes  an 
accessory  before  the  fact  to  pagan  practices.' 


i886]  MOREMl'S   VISIT  219 

later  on  in  the  evening  put  the  whole  town  in  a  flutter,  but  I 
was  too  tired  to  come  out  of  my  hut. 

The  official  reception  took  place  in  the  morning  of  the  next 
day  at  the  lekJiotJila.  Mr.  Westbeech  was  there.  The  king 
made  us  place  our  chairs  one  on  each  side  of  his,  while  the 
Gambella  and  his  principal  ministers  knelt  before  him.  This 
ceremony  was  a  very  simple  one.  Lewanika  listened  patiently 
to  all  I  had  to  say  on  the  aim  of  the  mission,  our  delays,  losses, 
etc.  In  his  turn,  he  expressed  the  joy  he  felt  in  seeing  me 
at  last  in  his  country  after  having  so  long  expected  me,  his 
displeasure  at  the  delays  to  which  we  had  uselessly  been 
subjected,  and  his  indignation  on  the  subject  of  the  thefts 
He  also  spoke  of  his  gratitude  for  the  kindness  we  had  shown 
towards  certain  members  of  his  family  and  some  of  his  adherents 
in  his  misfortunes.  He  introduced  to  me  with  visible  satis- 
faction those  of  the  chiefs,  and  even  of  the  servants,  who  had 
accompanied  him  in  his  exile,  and  then,  with  an  excitement 
almost  amounting  to  passion,  related  his  flight  and  exile, 
Libebe's  ^  hospitality,  his  first  meeting  with  those  of  his  partisans 
who  had  sought  him  out,  his  battles  and  his  victories,  his 
unconquerable  suspicions  even  of  those  on  his  own  side,  and 
the  hunger  for  vengeance  which  gnaws  his  heart.  He  also 
described  the  visit  of  Moremi,  chief  of  the  Batawana  of  Lake 
Ngami.'  Moremi  is  Lewanika's  friend.  For  many  years  they 
had  exchanged  ambassadors  and  presents  till  the  revolution  broke 
out.  Then  later,  when  Moremi  learnt  that  Lewanika  wished  to 
re-enter  his  kingdom,  he  hastened  to  come  in  person  and  bring 
him  help.  He  arrived  too  late,  however  ;  Lewanika  had  already 
conquered  his  enemies.  The  visit  of  the  son  of  Letsulathcbe ' 
was  therefore  of  a  purely  pacific  character  ;  but  that  is  not  to 
say  he  did  not  considerably  alarm  the  Barotsi,  coming  as  he  did 
at  the  head  of  a  hundred  well-armed  cavaliers.  One  day  he 
played  a  little  comedy  which  nearly  ended  in  tragedy.  A  great 
pitso  was  taking  place.     Moremi  and  his  poeple  were  on  one 

'  The  hereditary  name  of  a  tribal  chief  on  the  Linyanti  or  Cliobe  River. 

-  For  an  interesting  account  of  this  chief,  see  Hepburn's  "  Twenty  Years  in 
Khama's  Country."  See  also  former  letter,  page  53.  Tiie  Batawana  are  a 
Bechuana  tribe. 

^  I.e.  Aloremi.  African  chiefs  are  often  designated  by  tlie  names  of  thejr 
fathers. 


220  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

side,  Lewanika  and  his  Barotsi  on  the  other.  Morcmi,  using  the 
great  freedom  of  speech  possessed  by  the  Bechuana  in  their 
pitsos,  began  to  taunt  the  Barotsi  openly  on  their  revolutionary 
tendencies  ;  then,  advancing  towards  Lewanika,  he  said  to  him, 
"  You  are  my  brother  and  my  friend  ;  those  people  will  kill 
you  some  day.  Rise  up,  take  your  gun,  and  come  with  me." 
Lewanika  rose  and  took  his  gun.  The  Barotsi  were  touched,  and 
protested  their  attachment  to  their  king.  Moremi,  improving 
upon  his  original  speech,  made  a  fresh  attempt  to  take  Lewanika 
away,  and  there  was  a  new  demonstration.  The  third  time,  the 
Barotsi,  wounded  to  the  quick,  seized  their  arms,  and  surrounded 
the  Batawana,  heaping  abuse  upon  them  ;  and  blood  would 
certainly  have  been  shed  but  for  Lewanika's  intervention. 

Before  passing  on,  let  us  say  a  word  about  the  lekhothla, 
which  differs  essentially  from  that  of  the  Basuto  and 
Bechuana,  as  much  in  the  ceremonial  as  in  the  way  of  treating 
affairs.  Liberty  of  discussion  does  not  exist  here,  and  in  the 
lekhothla,  as  everywhere  else,  the  potentate  of  the  Valley  can  also 
say,  "  Veiat,  dest  nioir  At  seven  in  the  morning  and  three 
in  the  afternoon,  the  king,  followed  by  the  drums,  the  serimbas, 
and  sometimes  by  his  ministers,  goes  in  procession  to  the  place 
where  he  sits  in  the  shade.  He  is  generally  clothed  in  a  long 
red  cotton  shirt,  with  large  designs,  coming  down  to  his  heels, 
and  the  cap  of  striped  cotton,  so  dear  to  the  Barotsi.  It  seems 
that  etiquette  demands  he  should  frequently  change  his  attire, 
but  his  wardrobe  is  of  the  smallest ;  and  as  he  has  no  ivory,  he 
is  in  poverty.  The  few  European  garments  he  has  been  able 
to  procure,  he  has  given  to  his  ministers,  and  to  the  Mokwe 
Tungas  (the  husbands  of  his  sisters)  ;  and  he  owes  to  Moremi's 
generosity  the  white  serge  suit,  the  white  shirt,  the  shoes,  and 
the  hat  which  he  put  on  in  my  honour.  As  soon  as  the  drums 
make  themselves  heard,  all  the  men  run  to  the  lekJwthla,  and 
sit  down  before  the  king  at  an  interval  which  varies  according 
to  their  rank.  Those  who  come  from  a  distance  perform  all 
the  servile  ceremonies  of  the  shoalela,  like  our  Mokumoa- 
Kumoa  ;  then  they  come  in  single  file,  and,  kneeling  down, 
place  an  offering  at  his  majesty's  feet — an  otter  skin,  a  shell 
called  mande}  very  highly  esteemed,  or  a  simple  bead  necklace. 

1  Called  by  Livingstone  omande.  He  gives  many  interesting  details  of 
superstitions  connected  with  it  in  his  "  Travels." 


iS86]  A   TALK   WITH   LEWANIKA  221 

But  an  offering  is  absolutely  necessary ;  and  while  they 
recommence  the  shoalela,  one  of  the  officers  calls  out,  "Puma 
noka  "  ("  The  king  is  satisfied  ").  And  I  thought  of  God's  word 
to  Moses  which  we  Christians  are  apt  to  forget,  "  None  shall 
appear  before  Me  empty."  The  king  himself  seems  quite 
unconcerned  about  all  this  :  he  does  not  reply  to  any  of  the 
salutations  ;  he  gives  his  orders,  sends  his  messengers,  distributes 
his  work ;  he  listens  to  the  cases  submitted  to  him  by  his 
ministers  and  issues  decrees.  If  he  cites  some  one  to  appear, 
he  simply  pronounces  his  name,  and  immediately  four,  five,  six 
men  rise  and  call  the  name  in  every  direction.  Those  who  hear 
it  repeat  the  name,  till  it  is  sounded  all  over  the  village. 

Great  animation  reigns  in  the  lekJiotJda  about  the  king's 
person.  In  the  intervals  of  the  sittings,  he  retires  to  his  own 
home.  On  one  side  of  the  public  place  is  a  vast  enclosure — of 
course  a  circular  one.  This  is  his  harem.  The  huts  of  his  wives 
are  ranged  round  the  inner  wall,  and  separated  by  reed  courts. 
In  the  middle  is  a  fine  roomy  hut  surrounded  by  a  court,  which 
is  his  private  room.  Nobody  has  the  right  to  approach  it, 
except  his  ministers,  and  they  may  only  enter  with  his  express 
permission.  And  there,  almost  every  day,  when  he  did  not 
come  to  me,  I  passed  hours  with  him,  teaching  him  the  alphabet 
and  talking.  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  be  present  at  one  of 
our  conversations.  Lewanika,  pleased  with  his  progress,  was 
laughing  heartily,  rolling  on  his  mat.  Then,  becoming  more 
serious,  he  said  : 

"  I  had  thought  of  coming  to  see  you  to-day.  I  have  all 
.sorts  of  things  to  ask  from  you  :  candles,  coffee,  medicine  for 
the  eyes,  medicine  for  the  head,  and  so  on." 

"  It  would  be  no  use  coming  to  me  for  them.  I  have  only 
brought  necessaries  ;  and  even  if  I  wished  to,  I  could  not  satisfy 
your  demands." 

"  But  when  you  come  with  your  waggon,  then  you  will  have 
all  your  riches,  will  you  not  ?  " 

"  I  hope  we  shall  have  what  we  want  for  our  own  use,  and 
for  barter." 

"  And  if  I  want  shirts,  trousers,  a  hat,  and  shoes,  you  will 
have  to  get  them  for  me  if  I  need  them." 

"  Not  necessarily  ;  I  am  not  a  trader.  And  besides,  our 
exchange  goods  only  consist  of  beads  and  calico." 


222  ON   THE  tHRESHOLD  OF  CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

"  What !  you  have  not  brought  any  clothes  ?  What  will  you 
do  when  your  own  are  worn  out  ?  " 

"  I  have  what  is  necessary  for  my  own  use ;  nothing  more." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that,  if  I  need  clothes,  you  will  give 
me  your  own,  as  you  do  not  sell  them  ?  " 

I  told  him  he  must  get  them  from  traders,  like  Mr. 
Westbeech,  as  he  sells  them  his  ivory. 

"  But,"  he  said,  "  who  gives  you  these  things  ?  " 

"  I  buy  them." 

"  What  with  ?  " 

"  With  money."     (He  then  wished  to  see  some  money.) 

'*  But  where  do  you  get  this  money  ?  " 

I  explained  to  him  that  the  "  believers  "  in  my  country  gave 
us  part  of  their  possessions  to  provide  for  our  needs.  He 
uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  and  remained  silent  for  some 
time  ;  then  began  again. 

"  Moruti,  you  are  old  ;  give  me  counsel  how  I  shall  rule  my 
country,  and  strengthen  my  government." 

"  First  put  away  your  assegai',  and  let  it  sleep,  and  renounce 
vengeance  once  for  all.  Set  yourself  to  win  the  confidence  of 
your  people,  and  inspire  the  sm.allest  with  a  feeling  of  perfect 
security.  Punish  theft ;  and,  above  all,  accept  the  Gospel  for 
yourself  and  for  the  nation." 

"  What  are  the  riches  of  a  country  ?  The  riches  of  mine 
is  ivory.  But  ivory  diminishes  every  year  ;  and  when  all  the 
elephants  in  the  country  are  exterminated,  what  shall  I  do?" 

I  thought  of  Colbert's  great  saying.^  But  there  is  no 
industry  here  from  a  commercial  point  of  view.  I  pointed 
out  to  him  the  fertility  of  his  country,  and  that  if  the  chiefs 
would  give  themselves  up  to  the  cultivation  of  cotton,  tobacco, 
coffee,  sugar-cane,  etc.,  they  would  soon  find  that  it  would  be 
an  inexhaustible  source  of  riches  for  them. 

He  then  questioned  me  about  Lobengula.  Had  he  mis- 
sionaries? Were  there  believers  in  his  country?  Was  he 
himself  a  believer,  like  Khama?  Why  was  he  not  a  Christian  ? 
Then,  evidently  alluding  to  the  intentions  of  invasion  with  which 
Khama  is  credited,  and  to  his  own  raids  on  the  Mashukulumboe, 
he  said  : 

*  "  La  France  a  deux  mamelles  :  I'agriculture  et  I'inclustrie." 


A  PONTIFICAL  RULER  523 

"  Is  it  true  that  Khama,  who  is  a  Christian,  still  makes  war, 
and  invades  other  people's  countries  ?  " 

"  I  could  not  say,  for  Khama  is  only  a  man  ;  and  then  he 
does  not  govern  alone — the  council  of  the  tribe  is  there." 

"  But  is  it  wrong  to  make  war  ?  " 

"  Not  to  defend  one's  country." 

"  And  if  I  found  myself  engaged  in  a  warlike  enterprise, 
would  you  accompany  me  ?  " 

"  No.     Our  mission  is  a  mission  of  peace." 

"  At  least  you  would  lend  me  your  guns,  and  give  me 
ammunition." 

"  No.     That  would  still  be  taking  part  in  it." 

"  What !  and  you  live  in  my  country,  and  are  my  father  ! 
And  if  you  had  been  here  when  Mathaha  revolted  against  me, 
what  would  you  have  done  ?  When  you  heard  guns  firing, 
would  you  not  have  run  to  my  defence  ?  And  if  I  had  sent 
back  for  arms  and  ammunition,  would  you  have  refused  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  I  should  have  prayed  for  you." 

"  Oh  yes  !  "  he  said,  with  shouts  of  laughter  ;  "  and  while  that 
was  going  on  Mathaha  would  have  killed  me.  That  would 
have  been  a  fine  way  of  helping !  And  if  I  had  fled  to  you, 
what  would  you  have  done  ?  " 

"  I  would  have  received  you  into  my  house  ;  I  would  have 
given  you  food  and  clothes ;  and  I  would  have  taken  the  place 
of  your  servant,  and  would  have  made  your  fire  myself" 

"  That  is  well.  But  if  Mathaha's  people  had  pursued  me, 
and  said  to  you,  '  Deliver  Lewanika  to  us,  that  we  may  kill 
him'?" 

"  Then  I  would  have  stood  at  the  door,  and  said,  "  This 
is  a  city  of  refuge.  If  you  wish  to  violate  it,  you  must  kill 
me  first.'  " 

"  That  is  splendid  !  " 

This  outline  of  a  conversation  lasting  several  hours  will  give 
you  some  idea  of  the  man.  He  seems  to  have  a  great  wish  to 
resemble  Khama.  Like  all  small  African  potentates,  he  has  an 
extraordinarily  exaggerated  idea  of  his  own  dignity,  Man  has 
never  appeared  to  mc  so  utterly  degraded  as  in  his  presence. 
They  attribute  to  him  a  magic  power  :  he  can  render  himself 
invisible  and  invulnerable,  and  ensure  success  in  hunting  by 
certain  medicines  known  to  himself.     And  I   have  heard  him 


224  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [iS^& 

claim  this  singular  power,  in  the  open  lekJiothla.  He  is  religious 
in  his  own  way — that  is  to  say,  extraordinarily  superstitious. 
Near  his  harem  is  a  "  grove,"  carefully  screened  round  with 
mats,  where  he  offers  prayers,  sacrifices,  and  libations  to  the 
manes  of  his  ancestors,  and  to  the  sun.  I  have  witnessed 
strange  customs  and  ceremonies  at  Lealuyi  which  I  cannot 
relate.  I  have  been  particularly  struck  with  the  feast  of  the 
new  moon.  It  is  kept  strictly  as  a  day  of  rest,  and  celebrated 
by  peculiar  dances  and  songs,  in  which  all  men  without  distinc- 
tion of  age  or  rank  take  part,  while  the  women,  at  a  distance, 
applaud  them  with  shrill  cries.  Oxen  are  killed,  cooked,  and 
eaten  on  the  public  place,  and  the  silver  disc  is  noisily  greeted 
as  soon  as  its  outline  appears.  Whence  come  these  customs, 
and  many  others,  which  remind  us  of  the  Levitical  laws  ?  ^  These 
are  very  interesting  questions  to  study,  but  to  do  that  would 
require  patience  and  prudence. 

Where  do  the  Barotsi  come  from  ?  They  themselves  say 
from  the  east.  They  came  up  the  Zambesi,  conquered  the 
Bawewe  tribe,  which  they  found  in  this  country,  and  mingled 
with  them.  What  I  have  told  them  of  the  Banyai'  leads  them 
to  believe  that  they  are  the  stock  from  which  they  have  sprung. 
And  strange  to  say,  they  perfectly  understand  my  little 
vocabulary  of  Senya'i  (the  Banyai  tongue) — in  fact,  it  is  the 
same  language  as  the  Serotsi.^  They  relate  that  on  their 
arrival  in  this  country,  a  god  married  Buya-Maniboa,  and  that 
this  woman  gave  birth  to  the  Barotsi  kings.  Their  tombs,  and 
those  of  the  queens,  are  scattered  over  the  country  to  the 
number  of  about  twenty-five.  Many  are  shaded  with  woods, 
and  kept  up  with  great  care  ;  all  are  sacred  places,  cities  of 
refuge,  which  were  even  respected  during  the  revolution. 
Another  no  less  important  city  of  refuge  is  that  of  the  queen, 
at  present  Nalolo.  I  met  there  a  chief  of  Sesheke,  seriously 
compromised,  whom  Mokwae  kept  till  she  obtained  Lewanika's 
pardon  for  him.  At  the  capital  itself,  Gambella's  hut  for  his 
peers  and  the  enclosure  of  the  king's  court  are  respected 
refuges.  But  it  is  above  all  to  the  Natanioyo  that  they  look 
in  case  of  danger.     This  Natamoyo  is  entrusted  with  the  duty 

'  Especially  being  "  defiled  by  the  dead  "  and  by  contact  with  blood. 
*  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Barotsi  have  their  own  language, 
though  they  also  speak  the  Sesuto,  learned  from  the  Makololo. 


iS86]  A   SUNDAY  SERVICE  225 

of  appeasing  the  king's  anger,  of  restraining  it,  and  of  protecting 
its  probable  victims.  The  enclosure  of  his  house,  always  near 
the  lekhothia,  is  sacred.  Should  any  one  be  accused  by  the 
king's  order,  and  pursued  by  a  crowd  of  his  emissaries,  if  he 
can  put  his  foot  inside  the  court  of  the  Natamoyo,  he  is  saved. 
Moreover,  when  the  king  wishes  to  assure  himself  of  a  man's 
death,  he  takes  measures  to  prevent  the  Natamoyo  from  knowing 
anything  about  it,  so  that  the  man  may  not  escape. 

Alas !  in  spite  of  all  these  wise  precautions,  there  are  few 
countries  more  stained  with  human  blood.  Sitting  at  the 
lekJiothla,  I  passed  in  review  these  hundreds  of  men,  without 
recognising  one.  of  those  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  the 
previous  year.  "  We  threw  them  out  to  the  vultures  :  their 
bones  are  bleaching  in  the  sun."  One  scarcely  ever  sees  a  grey 
head  among  the  chiefs.  They  do  not  grow  old  here.  They 
have  committed  crimes  upon  women  and  little  children  which 
only  the  language  of  Elisha  to  Hazael  can  describe  (2  Kings  viii. 
12).  The  women  who  have  escaped  these  hecatombs  have  been 
shared  as  part  of  the  booty,  and  have  fallen  into  the  power  of 
their  husbands'  murderers.  But  they  seem  to  console  themselves 
easily,  for  some  of  them  who  have  passed  thus  from  hand  to 
hand  are  now  at  their  fifth,  sixth,  or  even  tenth  master.  It 
is  heart-rending.  Oh,  dear  friends  !  if  you  only  had  an  idea 
of  heathenism  such  as  we  see  it  here ! 

After  our  conversations,  Lewanika  was  anxious  to  hear  the 
public  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Following  Khama's  example, 
upon  the  advice  of  a  chief  who  had  been  to  Mangwato,  Lewanika, 
on  Friday  evening,  made  the  public  crier  proclaim  that  the  next 
day  every  one  was  to  prepare,  for  the  day  after  was  the  Lord's 
Day,  and  no  one  could  grind,  nor  go  to  the  fields,  nor  travel, 
nor  work.  On  Sunday  morning,  he  came  to  the  lekJiothla 
without  his  drums,  and  collected  his  people  by  calling  them 
publicly.  There  was  a  fine  audience,  serious  and  attentive.  I 
sang  and  preached,  as  at  Nalolo  ;  and  here,  also,  I  felt  myself 
sustained  and  blessed.  I  have  never  in  my  life  wished  so  much 
for  a  good  strong  voice.  There  was,  I  assure  you,  something 
electrifying  and  profoundly  touching  in  speaking  of  God  and 
the  Saviour  to  this  mass  of  pagans.  The  paraphrased  reading 
of  the  Ten  Commandments  struck  Lewanika,  but  I  remarked 
that  he  remained  seated  when  every  one  else  knelt  in  prayer. 

IS 


226  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i8S6 

Whatever  his  motives  may  be,  Lewanika  has  a  great  desire 
to  see  us  established  in  his  kingdom.  "  How  many  are  you  ?  " 
he  asked.  "  Two  missionaries,  and  two  helpers."  "  Is  that  all  ? 
But  how  can  you  teach  my  whole  nation?"  He  showed  me 
Mokwae's  son,  quite  a  young  man,  whom  he  destines  for  the 
office  of  Morantsiane  at  Scshcke.  "  Very  well,"  he  said,  "  your 
colleague  must  remain  at  Sesheke  to  instruct  and  direct  this 
young  man.  There  must  be  another  moruti  at  Seoma,  another 
at  Nalolo,  another  at  Libonta.  When  will  some  more  covie  to 
help  yoii  ?  "  I  underline  the  question  and  pass  it  on  to  you 
dear  friends,  and  to  the  Churches  of  Basuto-land. 

He  showed  himself  very  kindly  disposed  as  regards  the 
choice  of  a  site,  so  much  so  that  he  wished  to  come  with  mc 
to  visit  the  different  places  which  he  believed  best  adapted  to 
our  establishment  ;  but  he  was  hindered  from  so  doing,  and 
the  Gambella  accompanied  me  instead.  Besides  Sefula,  which 
may  one  day  be  occupied  by  the  Nalolo  missionary,  I  was 
favourably  impressed  by  Kanyojiyo,  a  place  which  last  year  we 
found  encumbered  by  corn  and  manioc.  It  is  a  little  valley 
close  to  Mongu,  not  far  from  the  capital.  The  annual  floods 
never  come  there  ;  and  the  south-west  wind,  which  blows  during 
the  worst  six  months  of  the  year,  drives  away  the  marshy 
miasmas,  although  it  is  this  same  wind  which,  sweeping  afterwards 
over  the  swampy  valleys,  becomes  impregnated  with  malaria. 
Sefula  enjoys  the  same  conditions.  And  these  are,  I  think,  the 
least  iinJiealtJiy  parts  of  the  Valley  that  I  know,  relying  on  our 
experience  of  Sesheke  on  the  north  and  Leshoma  on  the  south 
of  the  river.  Sesheke  is  as  healthy  as  Leshoma  is  the  reverse. 
This  year,  while  we  all  enjoyed  excellent  health  here,  all  the 
members  of  Dr.  Holub's  expedition  were  ill  at  Leshoma,  and 
one  died  there. 

Lewanika,  hearing  of  our  losses  in  bullocks,  sent  an  order 
to  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke  to  give  me  seventeen.  Will  the  order 
be  carried  out  punctually  ?  That  remains  to  be  seen.  At 
Mr.  Westbeech's  suggestion,  he  has  sent  gangs  of  men,  so  as  to 
save  us  the  expense,  to  clear  a  road  for  the  waggons  through 
the  forests  which  we  must  traverse.  He  himself  v^  ished  us  to 
start  immediately,  but  we  shall  be  obliged  to  wait  till  the  waters 
dry  up,  so  it  will  be  July  before  we  are  able  to  leave. 

The  return  journey  only  took   us  eight  days.     In  passing 


f. 

3. 

d. 

6 

O 

o 

I 

lO 

o 

2 

lO 

o 

lO 

o 

o 

iSS6]  BOAT   RECOVERED  22/ 

Seoma,  I  enquired  after  my  boat,  and  learnt  that  it  had  been 
found  below  the  first  rapids,  among"  the  reeds,  where  the  current 
had  carried  it.  Judge  of  my  people's  astonishment !  They 
all  came  to  shake  hands  with  me  in  congratulation.  The 
same  ceremony  was  repeated  at  the  port  of  Sesheke,  where  we 
disembarked  on  April  17th.  All  our  beloved  ones  were  there, 
well  and  radiant  with  delight,  and  the  news  I  received  of  our 
evangelists  was  also  excellent.     How  good  the  Lord  is ! 

The  cost  of  my  journey  may  perhaps  interest  you.     Here 
are  the  details  : 

Ten  cotton  sheets  at  125'. 
"  Tips  "  in  calico  for  the  rowers 
Calico  and  beads  for  presents  and  purchasinj. 
food 


The  sheets  were  not  a  new  purchase  ;  we  had  them  before. 
If  among  our  European  purchases  there  are  some  which  have 
not  been  as  useful  as  we  expected,  our  stuffs  on  the  contrary 
have  been  of  the  greatest  possible  service,  and  a  great  economy. 
It  is  the  purse  which  has  supported  the  expedition  till  the 
beginning  of  this  year,  which  has  paid  for  our  buildings  at 
Leshoma,  then  at  Sesheke,  all  our  journeys  and  expenses  of 
communication,  and  the  exchange  of  tv.'elve  draught  oxen  here. 

Sesheke,  Upper  Zambesi,  May  ^th,  18S6. 

It  is  to  avoid  confusion  that  I  write  to  you  from  Sesheke. 
In  point  of  fact,  it  is  some  days  since  we  left  it,  Jeanmairet 
and  myself  We  had  a  great  desire  to  visit  our  evangelists  at 
Mambova,  for  they  have  had  a  monotonous  and  difficult  life 
since  our  departure  for  the  Valley.  Poor  fellows  !  what  a  sun- 
beam for  them  !  Once  at  Mambova,  we  made  a  flying  trip 
to  Leshoma  with  Aaron  to  visit  our  baggage,  and  took 
advantage  of  a  moment's  respite  to  complete  our  mail. 

You  know  that  the  counter-revolution  which  brought 
Lewanika  back  to  power  was  of  the  bloodiest.  Unhappily,  the 
insatiable  vengeance  of  the  king  pursued,  and  still  pursues,  to 
the  uttermost  the  rebels  who  sought  salvation  in  flight,  or  who 


228  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

ran  the  risk  of  throwing  themselves  at  his  feet  and  imploring 
pardon.  He  has  sworn  to  exterminate  the  last  scion  of  the 
house  of  one  Kuanosha.  For  months,  his  emissaries  have  been 
overrunning  the  kingdom  in  every  direction  with  secret  missions: 
then  chiefs  who  are  in  the  plot  fall  in  the  night  upon  such  and 
such  a  community,  pillage  and  massacre  to  their  hearts'  content, 
and  return  triumphant,  with  troops  of  horned  beasts,  of  women 
and  children.  They  share  the  women  among  themselves,  while 
waiting  for  the  king  to  dispose  of  this  human  booty. 

As  to  the  cattle,  masters  and  slaves  vie  with  each  other 
in  stealing  and  squandering  it.  No  one  is  astonished,  and  no 
one  would  dare  to  raise  his  voice  in  disapproval.  "  Ke-leruvio  !  " 
("  It  is  the  spear  "  ;  civil  war).  It  seems  that  then  anything  is 
allowed.  I  have  said  elsewhere  that  the  pen  refuses  to  give 
details  as  to  the  atrocities  committed  at  Sesheke  itself  on  women 
and  little  children.  It  is  sickening.  And  do  you  imagine  that 
the  savage  behaviour  of  these  men,  who  habitually  bathe  their 
hands  in  the  blood  of  their  chiefs  and  of  their  brothers,  is  such 
as  to  inspire  us  with  terror  ?  Not  at  all.  These  are  the  most 
polished  people  in  the  world,  and  I  think  they  even  outdo  the 
Parisians.  A  master  always  calls  his  slaves  "  Shajtgzve"  ^  even 
the  youngsters.  A  slave  would  never  address  another  without 
making  use  of  the  same  expression,  and  calling  him  you,  not  thoti. 

No  later  than  last  week,  at  Sesheke,  they  murdered  a  petty 
chief,  who  for  months  had  been  flattered  and  nursed  into  a 
false  security.  He  was  fed,  and  ostensibly  received  into  the 
confidence  of  the  IckJiotJda.  Lewanika,  fearing  the  matter 
would  come  to  our  ears,  had  commanded  that  this  man  should 
be  carried  away  on  a  hunting  expedition,  and  executed  far 
away  from  us.  Rataii,  with  the  other  chiefs  (some  of  them 
his  relations),  did  not  approve  of  these  precautions.  "  What 
is  killing  a  man  ? "  he  cried.  "  The  affair  won't  take  long. 
Besides,  the  missionaries  know  that  ours  is  a  country  of  blood." 
The  evening  of  the  next  day,  on  their  return  from  a  visit  which 
some  of  the  chiefs  paid  us,  with  the  unfortunate  Makapane, 
they  gathered  themselves  at  Ratau'.s,  where  they  had  organised 
a  feast  of  yoala.  They  drank,  they  chatted  gaily  ;  then  sud- 
denly a  man   rose  behind    Makapane  and   struck  him  on  the 

*  "  Sir,"  or  rather  "  Sire." 


i886]  MURDER   OF   MAKAPANE  229 

temple  with  a  club  ;  they  next  discmbowclletl  him,  and  threw 
him  out  for  the  vultures  to  feed  on.  Rataii  felt  he  must  come 
and  tell  us  about  it  ;  but  to  prevent  our  giving  the  poor  man 
burial,  he  assured  me  that  they  had  flung  his  corpse  to  the 
crocodiles.  Alas  !  the  vultures  that  hovered  over  the  forest 
gave  him  too  visibly  the  lie.  While  I  was  trying  to  make 
Rataii  understand  the  enormity  of  this  crime,  and  while  I  was 
applying  to  him  the  Divine  word,  "  He  that  killeth  with  the 
sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword,"  he  clapped  his  hands  before 
me  as  heartily  as  though  I  had  loaded  him  with  praises.  The 
hypocrite  ! 

Amid  this  appalling  outbreak  of  passions,  we  ourselves  have 
had,  and  still  have,  to  suffer.  By  day,  as  by  night,  we  are 
exposed  to  the  most  barefaced  thefts.  They  respect  neither 
our  waggons,  nor  our  folds,  nor  our  houses.  Without  pro- 
tection, without  any  defence  as  we  are,  it  is  truly  a  miracle 
of  God's  goodness  that  we  have  not  yet  been  completely 
stripped.  The  slaves  steal  audaciously  for  their  masters.  The 
chiefs  themselves  come  shamefacedly  each  time  to  mumble  a 
few  words  of  excuse  or  of  sympathy. 

It  is  hard  to  see  our  sheep  and  cattle  stolen  and  killed  in 
broad  daylight  at  a  couple  of  hundred  paces  from  the  village, 
and  to  recognise  our  own  shirts  and  stuffs  upon  the  greasy  backs 
of  chiefs  of  the  second  and  third  degree.  What  can  we  do? 
Pray  that  God  may  enable  us  by  His  grace  to  "  take  joyfully 
the  spoiling  of  our  goods,"  and  may  deliver  us  from  all  feeling 
of  bitterness.  That  will  one  day  come  to  an  end  ;  and  mean- 
while our  Master  will  never  let  us  lack  for  necessaries. 

One  word  more  and  I  close.  What  do  you  think  of 
Lewanika's  remarks  about  our  small  number  ?  This  "  zuJicn 
will  tJiey  cojiie'^ :  is  it  not  the  cry  from  Macedonia?  Is  it 
not  something  abnormal,  and  extraordinarily  abnormal,  that 
revivals  in  France  should  produce  so  few  missionary  vocations  ? 
Sec  what  is  happening  in  England  ;  this  host  of  labourers  who, 
their  own  salvation  once  assured,  invade  the  Lord's  field  in 
China,  in  the  great  African  Lakes,  on  the  Congo,  etc.  The 
experiences  of  the  year  which  has  just  elapsed  show  us  that 
we  must  have  each  an  evangelist  with  us.  Levi  will  go  and 
join  Jeanmairet,  and  Aaron  will  accompany  us  to  the  Valley. 
Thus  there  will  be  two  station-:  onh'  in  this  immense  country 


230  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [i8S6 

— two  !  As  long  as  the  Churches  of  Basuto-land  do  not  freely 
enter  into  our  work,  by  sending  us  evangelists,  and  supporting 
them  tJieiusclvcs,  we  hesitate  to  call  for  such  evangelists.  The 
position  of  Aaron  and  Levi,  who  have  no  connexion  with 
the  Church  of  their  own  country,  and  who  are  exclusively 
supported  by  Christians  of  another  race,  with  whom  they 
have  not  the  slightest  communication,  is  most  painful.  They 
feel  it,  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  one  day  a  deep 
discouragement  seized  them.  What  gives  us  our  strength  is 
the  bulk  of  the  army  of  Christ  which  is  behind  us  and  upholds 
us.  This  subject  has  acutely  occupied  us,  and  I  believe  that  by 
different  lines  of  argument  Jeanmairet  and  I  have  arrived  at  the 
same  conclusion — namely,  that  the  native  part  of  our  mission 
staff,  if  it  is  to  continue  to  exist  and  develop  itself,  ought  from 
the  financial  point  of  view  to  be  entirely  the  work  of  the  Basuto 
Churches. 

A  dear  brother,  whose  affection  for  me  personally  has  stood 
the  test  of  many  years,  wrote  me  lately  with  a  frankness  for 
which  I  thank  him  :  "  You  must  not  be  surprised  if  you  do  not 
find  the  enthusiasm  you  would  like  everywhere.  People  will 
accord  you  a  support  based  not  on  faith,  but  on  success''  But  I 
have  never  promised  success.  FOR  US,  OBEDIENCE  AND  FAITH  : 
SUCCESS  LIES  WITH  GOD  ALONE.  I  appeal  to  you,  dear 
unknown  friends,  to  give  a  striking  contradiction  to  these 
words  of  our  venerated  friend — a  contradiction  that  shall  redound 
to  God's  glory. 

Sesheke,  July  1st,  1886. 

I  confess  that  I  am  sometimes  stupefied  when  I  see  the 
aspect  under  which  the  Barotsi  display  human  nature.  Hitherto, 
I  have  witnessed  nothing  like  it.  The  Zambesians  have  nothing 
in  common  with  the  Bechuana,  but  a  basis  of  superstition,  a 
black  skin,  and  a  dialect  of  their  language. 

The  farther  I  go,  the  more  I  believe  that  tribulations  await 
us.  The  martyrdom  of  Bishop  Hannington  in  Uganda  gives 
one  food  for  reflection.  We  feel  more  and  more  the  need  to 
cling  to  God  and  His  promises,  come  what  may.  If  God  be 
for  us,  who  can  be  against  us  ?  In  such  surroundings  as  these, 
the  presence  of  that  glorified  Saviour  Who  has  sent  us,  and  to 
Whom    all    power   is  given,  not  only  in  heaven,  but  on  earth 


i886]  RETURN    OF   MIDDLETON  23 1 

(hence  on  the  Zambesi  too),  is  a  glorious  reahty  ;  and  we  feel  it. 
Therefore  have  no  uneasiness  on  our  account.  We  follow  the 
Man  of  Sorrows.  Should  we  follow  Him  afar  off,  and  with 
divided  hearts  ?  But  this  Man  of  Sorrows,  every  knee  must  bow 
to  Him,  every  tongue  must  confess  His  name.  I  do  understand 
that  the  world  calls  those  enthusiasts  who  follow  the  Saviour 
with  love.  I  do  not  understand  how  I  could  have  followed  Him 
so  long  without  enthusiasm. 

We  love  to  reckon  up  the  blessings  of  God  as  David  did. 
They  are  far  more  abundant  than  we  dared  to  hope.  Can  you 
believe  that,  thanks  to  the  Jesuits'  corn,  we  have  never  yet 
wanted  for  bread  ?  It  is  true  that  we  are  not  so  extravagant 
with  it  at  the  Zambesi  as  in  Paris.  We  also  have  milk,  which 
in  a  household  like  ours  is  an  immense  resource.  And  then, 
above  all,  we  enjoy  good  health.  This  is,  no  doubt,  in  answer 
to  the  prayers  of  many  friends.  My  dear  wife  is  the  least 
robust  of  us  ;  and  she,  among  us  all,  has  the  hardest  and  most 
active  life, 

I  have  just  been  away  for  a  fortnight.  Our  friend  Middleton 
had  sent  word  to  me  of  his  arrival  from  Pretoria  at  the  ford 
of  Kazungula,  after  five  months'  absence.  He  seemed  no  less 
happy  than  I  at  our  meeting.  The  wind  blew  so  hard  that 
the  canoes  could  not  be  navigated  for  a  fortnight.  But  at  last, 
with  a  score  of  willing  men,  and  an  armful  oi  setsibas,  I  managed 
to  get  oxen,  waggons,  and  baggage  across  v/ithout  too  much 
fuss.  Then  I  returned  to  Sesheke,  leaving  Middleton  to  watch 
over  the  baggage,  till  the  country  should  be  dry  enough  for  the 
waggons  to  trek.  Alas  !  we  wish  we  could  keep  the  lovely 
days  that  are  speeding  away.  Why  are  we  not  already  at  the 
Valley  to  begin  our  work,  and  shelter  ourselves,  before  the 
rains  ?  They  are  burning  the  grass  over  the  surface  of  the 
country  more  or  less  everywhere.  Will  they  also  burn  the 
stubble  which  we  need  as  thatch  for  our  buildings?  That  is  one 
of  our  anxieties,  and  not  the  only  one. 

At  Kazungula,  I  met  Dr.  Holub,  who  himself  had  just 
crossed  the  Zambesi,  and  was  waiting  for  porters,  in  order 
to  start  towards  the  country  of  the  Mashukulumboe.  His 
expedition  had  been  severely  tried.  He  had  had  great  losses 
of  cattle,  like  ourselves,  and  had  spent  a  great  deal.  Two  of 
his  best  men   have  died,  one  at  Leshoma,  the  other  at  Pata- 


232  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

matenga  ;  a  third  had  to  return  to  Austria ;  all  the  others  have 
been  much  tried  by  fever.  The  expedition  is  thus  reduced  to 
three  Europeans,  Mrs.  Holub,  and  the  Doctor  himself.  They 
have  got  rid  of  everything  that  was  not  absolutely  necessary 
to  them  :  their  regimen  is  severe,  but  all  are  full  of  spirits.  I 
learnt  more  than  one  lesson  of  courage  and  self-denial  from 
them.  It  is  touching  to  see  this  young  woman  following  her 
husband  on  foot,  through  savage  tribes  and  in  a  cruel  climate, 
in  order  to  share  his  fatigues  and  dangers.  I  offered  her  one  of 
my  donkeys.  Ah,  why  has  not  the  Gospel  more  of  such  intrepid 
missionaries  as  those  of  geography  ?  Why  do  not  the  young 
Christians  of  France  awake  ?  They  are  asleep,  and  the  heathen 
are  dying.  In  response  to  my  expressions  of  sympathy,  Mrs, 
Holub  coloured,  and  her  feelings  overcame  her.  The  Doctor 
said,  "  Yes,  it  will  be  hard  and  difficult  ;  but,"  he  added  with 
a  beaming  face,  "z/wq  succeed,  and  (/we  can  return  to  Austria 
— oh  !  then  our  fortune  is  made  !  " 

Well,  I  thought  to  myself,  I  am  better  off.  For  us,  there 
is  no  if.  In  the  service  of  Jesus,  success  is  certain,  whatever 
men  may  think  ;  if  only  our  obedience  be  implicit,  for  the 
fulfilment  of  His  will  zs  success.  And  after  the  burden  of  the 
day,  when  we  arrive  at  the  end  of  the  journey  in  the  Father's 
home — oh,  then !  .  .  . 


CHAPTER    XV 

Third  Journey  to  the  Valley — Sesheke  to  Sefula  by  Land — The  Vanguard 
with  Waggons — Nguana-Ngombe — The  Morantsiane — Progress  under 
Difficulties — The  Tse-tse  Fly — Refractory  Servants  —  Kalangu  —  An 
Eclipse  of  the  Sun — Dr.  Holub's  Disaster — Njoko — A  Catastrophe — 
The  Lumbe  River — A  Vision — Depopulated  Districts — Misfortunes  never 
come  singly — A  Rare  Treat— The  Motondo  River — The  Forest  of  Thirst 
— The  Ruyi  River — A  Conjuration — Sefula  Springs — Hidden  Riches  of 
Vegetation — Matsa — Sefula  at  Last. 

Sesheke,  Upper  Zambesi,  July  2<^i/i,   1886. 

AT  this  date — who  doubted  it? — we  ought  certainly  to  have 
arrived  at  our  final  destination,  Lealuyi,  and  there 
vigorou.sly  pushed  forward  our  temporary  structures.  And 
alas !  here  we  still  are,  helpless  prisoners  at  Sesheke.  The 
winter,  the  good;  the  only  good  season  for  health,  for  travelling, 
and  for  work,  is  rapidly  passing  ;  indeed,  it  is  already  gone.  We 
are  sometimes  tempted  to  stamp  with  impatience,  like  naughty 
children.  If  these  delays  go  on  much  longer,  it  will  be  a 
question  whether  it  is  possible  to  make  the  journey,  and  install 
ourselves  at  the  Valley,  before  the  rains  which  begin  in 
November. 

Our  friend  Middleton  was  absent  six  months  to  renew  our 
supplies.  At  Mangwato,  where,  at  the  present  time,  commerce 
is  nearly  ruined,  he  found  nothing,  not  even  a  piece  of  calico, 
the  indispensable  money  of  the  Zambesi.  He  had  to  push  on  to 
Pretoria.  On  his  return,  I  hastened  to  meet  him  at  Kazungula, 
so  as  to  bring  over  the  baggage,  oxen,  and  waggons,  always  a 
great  affair.  Unhappily,  the  great  plain  of  Kasaya  was  still 
•Bubmcrged  and  quite  impracticable.  Middleton,  therefore,  had 
to  wait  six  weeks  at  Kazungula.  This  delay  causes  us  the 
greatest  embarrassment.  My  niece,  Mme.  Jcanmairet,  who 
hopes    shortly    to    become    a    mother,  was    to    have    gone  with 


234  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

US  to  the  Valley.  Her  husband  would  have  johied  her  there  a 
little  later,  which  would  have  afforded  him  the  opportunity  of 
making  the  acquaintance  of  the  king  and  the  principal  chiefs 
of  the  country.  Now  we  must  give  up  this  plan  and  all  its 
advantages.  But  what  can  we  do?  To  prolong  our  stay  here, 
and  thus  retard  for  a  whole  year  the  foundation  of  our  station 
at  Lealuyi,  is  absolutely  out  of  the  question.  For  us,  now,  one 
year  is  worth  ten.  We  only  see  one  alternative,  and  we  shudder 
at  it,  but  only  for  a  moment.  The  duty  is  clear.  I  shall  start 
alo)ie  for  the  Valley  with  our  two  artisans  to  begin  the  work 
of  installation :  the  waggons  will  come  back  to  fetch  my  wife, 
vvho  must  also  make  the  journey  alone  with  Aaron  and  his 
family. 

Middlcton  having  at  last  arrived,  our  preparations  are  quickly 
finished,  and  our  carriages  loaded.  On  the  four,  we  have  put 
scarcely  the  equivalent  of  two  loads.  We  are  dividing  our  oxen. 
Last  year,  just  after  our  journey  from  Kazungula  to  Sesheke, 
we  lost  many  of  them  from  the  tse-tse  fly.  The  generous  fore- 
thought of  kind  friends  has  happily  enabled  us  to  renew  our 
teams  to  some  extent.  Now,  by  counting  the  old,  the  lean, 
and  those  we  have  to  lift  to  their  legs,  we  have  just  the  minimum 
of  oxen  required.  But  it  will  not  do  for  a  single  one  to  die  by 
the  way.  And  now  for  the  drivers  !  My  waggon  has  never 
lacked  for  an  arm,  when  it  has  had  to  roll  in  the  King's  service. 
Here  are  two  men  of  Mangwato,  who  will  each  take  charge  of 
a  waggon.^  The  evangelist  Aaron  has  offered  himself  to  lead 
mine  ;  Middleton,  helped  by  Kamburu,  will  take  the  fourth  ;  and 
Waddell,  with  Nguana-Ngomb6,  the  cart,  transformed  once  more 
into  a  Noah's  Ark.  We  did  not  arrive  at  this  solution  all  at 
once.  Last  year,  our  evangelists  stood  a  little  on  their  dignity  ; 
doubtless  they  feared  the  Zambesians  would  misunderstand 
their  position  relatively  to  ourselves — a  small  weakness  which 
we  understood  and  easily  excused.  Thus  we  are  all  the  more 
pleased  at  the  right  spirit  which  has  led  Aaron  to  offer  us  his 
services,  not  only  for  my  journey,  but  also  for  that  of  my  dear  wife. 

We  have  still  to  find  "leaders,"  boys  who  run  before  the 
teams  to  guide  them.  But  where  shall  we  find  these  boys  ? 
Sesheke  and  the  villages  of  the  chiefs  are  still  abandoned  and 

1  Franz,  frequently  mentioned  in  subsequent  letters,  was  one  of  these. 


i886]  NGUANA-NGOMBfi  235 

in  ruins.  Those  of  the  Masubia  round  about  are  also  at  this 
season  completely  deserted.  Men,  women,  and  children  are 
all  dispersed  in  the  woods  and  islands  for  hunting  and  fishing. 
Do  we  by  chance  meet  some  one  and  speak  to  him  of  our 
journey?  ^'  Borotsi  kc  naga  ea  lencmo}  knnno  le  teiig''  ("The 
Valley  is  a  country  of  blood  and  murder"),  he  replies,  with 
agitated  looks  ;  "  we  are  afraid  to  go  there."  The  terror  which 
the  Barotsi  inspire  is  such  that  even  our  shepherds  wished 
to  leave  us.  The  parents  of  Kamburu  and  Nguana-Ngomb6 
also  hurried  hither  to  stop  them.  But  they  remained  faithful 
to  us,  although  their  engagement  had  expired. 

Kamburu  is  going  to  adventure  himself  with  the  conductor's 
long  whip.  "  How  could  he  forsake  his  father  in  difficulty  ? 
He  doesn't  know  the  business,  but  he  will  do  his  best."  One 
cannot  ask  more.  He  is  somewhat  ambitious,  is  Kamburu. 
What  with  the  odds  and  ends  of  every  sort  of  apparel  in  which 
he  rigs  himself  out  on  occasion,  he  is  on  the  way  to  transform 
himself  into  a  vwtJianibasi,  a  dignity  assumed  by  the  Hottentots 
and  half-breeds  who  follow  the  Europeans  in  these  parts.  One 
day,  his  aspirations  will  lead  him  to  Mangwato,  to  the  Diamond 
Fields,  to  Basuto-land — who  knows  ? — to  seek  a  little  work, 
civilisation,  liberty — and  a  great  deal  of  money. 

As  to  Nguana-Ngombe,  he  wishes  to  stay  with  us.  Contrary 
to  our  expectations,  he  was  able  to  resist  the  importunities  of 
his  elder  brother,  and  above  all  those  of  his  chief  Mokumba's 
wife,  who  sent  messengers  and  left  no  stone  unturned  to  get  him 
away  from  our  house.  "  I  shall  wait  for  my  master  to  come 
back  from  Lealuyi  ;  /  want  to  be  educated,"  he  replied  respect- 
fully, but  also  with  characteristic  firmness.  And  do  not  think 
that  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  are  the  only  things  that 
enter  into  his  programme.  No.  For  him  to  be  educated  means 
to  acquaint  himself  thoroughly  with  every  kind  of  work  he  sees 
performed  :  to  knead  and  bake  the  bread  in  a  pan  ;  to  make 
candles,  saw  in  a  saw-pit,  plane  boards,  sew,  iron  linen,  wash 
photographic  plates,  and  what  not  besides  ?  No  false  shame  ! 
His  great  energy  makes  every  kind  of  work  easy  to  him.  His 
merry  laugh  and  helping  hand  often  give  us  a  lift  forward  in 
undertakings   which    by    no   means    come  within   his  province. 

*  LerumOy  spear  or  assegai,  equivalent  to  "  murder," 


236  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

This  dear  child  eagerly  Hstens  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 
During  my  last  journey  to  the  capital,  I  sent  him  a  little  letter, 
which  he  received  while  ill.  "  My  mother,"  he  said  to  my  wife, 
"  I  understand.  I  too  would  be  a  child  of  God.  I  would  like  to 
be  converted."  Up  to  the  present,  he  has  not  yet  made  the 
decisive  step.  If  he  left  us,  it  would  probably  be  an  irreparable 
loss.  We  tremble  above  all  at  the  thought  of  this  boy,  so  gifted 
as  he  is,  and  of  such  an  open  joyous  nature,  being  dragged  back 
in  spite  of  himself  into  the  brutality  and  misery  of  serfdom. 
But  we  must  not  interfere.  Our  business  is  to  confide  the 
interests  of  this  dear  soul  to  the  Saviour  Who  has  given  His 
life  to  save  him. 

Sesheke,  August  2>th. 

The  lords  of  Sesheke,  so  long  announced  and  awaited, 
at  last  arrived  yesterday.  The  fugitive  population  took  courage, 
and  assembled  here  for  the  occasion.  One  way  and  another, 
a  great  deal  of  powder  was  exploded.  They  are  bringing  us 
a  perfect  legion  of  new  dignitaries,  the  new  Nalishua,  Liamine, 
Mokoro,  Lesuani,  etc.,  all  of  Sesheke — young  men  of  our 
acquaintance,  who,  to  put  it  mildly,  m.ake  us  tremble  for  the 
future.  Kabuku,  the  Morantsiane  elect,  is  himself  a  boy  of 
eighteen  or  twenty.  He  is  the  son  of  Queen  Mokwae.  At 
Lealuyi,  Lcwanika  had  confidentially  pointed  him  out  to  me  as 
the  viceroy  destined  for  Sesheke.  Poor  boy  !  he  is  lost  among 
such  as  Rataii,  Tahalima,  and  Mokhele,  whom  the  contrast 
makes  even  older  ;  and  he  scarcely  knows  how  to  bear  the  weight 
of  so  novel  a  dignity.  He  makes  grimaces  like  a  coquettish 
fjirl :  he  winks,  twists  his  mouth,  trifles  with  a  rhinoceros  horn 
to  occupy  his  hands,  which  he  does  not  know  what  to  do  with  ; 
he  drinks  nipote  (a  honey  beer  said  to  be  as  strong  as  brandy), 
and  surrounds  himself  with  the  ceremonies  observed  at  the  court 
of  Lealuyi.  He  had  not  been  half  an  hour  on  the  station 
before  he  exhibited  the  cloven  hoof  of  a  practised  beggar.  He 
had  all  sorts  of  wants  to  satisfy.  Above  all,  he  coveted  one  of 
our  wooden  chairs,  and  would  not  take  "  No  "  for  an  answer,  even 
after  repeated  refusals.  He  returned  to  the  charge  with  such 
importunity  that  I  ended  by  giving  in.  And  now  this  seat, 
shining  with  grease  and  ochre,  is  borne  before  him,  as  the 
symbol  of  his  high  office  ! 


i886]  MOKUMBA   AND   HIS   SLAVE  237 

The  old  chief?,  our  former  friends,  are  as  vile  and  cringing 
before  the  young  beardless  prince  as  they  were  haughty. 
They  seem  to  us  like  high  functionaries  who  are  now  disgraced 
and  degraded,  but  who  cannot  as  yet  be  dispensed  with.  At 
the  time  of  their  visit  to  the  capital,  the  king  would  not  kill  a 
single  head  of  cattle  for  them  ;  he  only  gave  them  fish  to  eat. 
Moreover,  they  are  gloomy  and  uncommunicative.  Lcwanika 
divided  up  the  wives  of  all  the  chiefs  who  have  fled  or  been 
massacred  ;  but  the  children — those  dear  little  children,  some 
of  them  .so  intelligent  and  loveable— have  all  been  pitilessly  put 
to  death,  to  the  very  last  one.  They  bring  us  heart-rending 
details  of  this  horrible  tragedy. 

We  talk  business  with  them.  The  king  is  still  sending 
pressing  messages,  and  the  chiefs,  who  have  received  their 
orders,  promise  us  men  without  delay.  For  the  moment,  the 
great  preoccupation  of  their  lordships  is  the  site  of  the  new 
Sesheke.  They  have  consulted  the  litaola  (divining  bones) — 
"  cast  the  dice,"  as  we  should  say  ;  they  have  sacrificed  oxen  to 
the  manes  of  the  ancient  chiefs  of  Sesheke ;  they  have  gone 
at  daybreak  in  procession,  ceremoniously  led  by  a  woman,  to 
pray  at  the  important  tombs  ;  and  then,  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
they  have  come  in  a  body  to  pray  to  the  God  of  the  missionaries  ! 
So  nothing  is  wanting  to  assure  the  prosperity  of  the  new 
capital  of  the  province.  What  lessons  these  poor  heathen  teach 
us,  all  the  same,  in  their  ignorance  ! 

Mokumba,  too,  has  returned.  He  hastened  to  come  and 
see  us.  Nguana-Ngombe  laid  at  his  feet  his  own  wages  for  two 
years'  service,  and  kneeling  before  him,  clapping  his  hands,  he 
said  in  a  supplicating  tone,  "  My  master,  my  time  is  up ;  but 
I  would  like  to  stay  with  the  Baruti"  (missionaries)  "and  be 
educated — my  master."  He  was  trembling  with  emotion,  and 
great  drops  of  sweat  ran  down  the  transparent  skin  of  his  face. 
It  was  a  scene  of  extreme  psychological  interest.  Mokumba 
kept  silence  for  some  time  ;  then  choosing  for  himself  a  fine 
woollen  blanket  of  flaming  colours,  and  passing  the  rest  to  him, 
"  My  child,"  he  said  at  last,  "  I  am  Mokumba.  I  would  not 
be  the  one  to  take  thee  from  thy  father  and  mother.  They 
love  thee,  thou  lovest  them  ;  thou  art  happy  ;  stay  with  them. 
Later  on,  thou  wilt  return  to  me."  Our  boy's  face  brightened 
like    lightning ;    he    gave     thanks,    and     clapped     his     hands 


23S  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

ecstatically.  It  seemed  as  though  he  already  breathed  the 
first  sweet  air  of  liberty,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  new  horizons. 
All  his  friends  came  to  congratulate  him.  As  for  ourselves, 
we  blessed  God. 

Sesheke,  Augt(st  i^tk. 
The  chiefs  have  kept  their  word,  and  they  have  astonished 
us  with  their  eagerness  to  oblige  us.  They  have  brought  us  a 
troop  of  men  and  youths,  and  promise  us  a  still  larger  number. 
It  is  in  their  own  interest,  for  the  wages  of  a  slave  or  serf 
belong  by  right  to  his  master,  and  each  of  these  is  to  receive 
a  cotton  blanket  and  some  calico.  By  this  reckoning,  a  bale 
will  not  go  far.  Besides,  we  know  our  Zambesians  well  enougli 
to  be  certain  that  it  is  not  the  greatest  number  v/hich  does  the 
most  and  the  best.  Therefore  we  choose,  and  inscribe  very 
solemnly  the  names  of  those  we  require,  and  we  dismiss  the 
others  politely.  That  docs  not  suit  the  chiefs  ;  they  discuss 
it  excitedly,  and  testify  their  disappointment  and  displeasure 
by  half  turning  their  backs  to  us,  frowning  and  clicking  their 
tongues.  But  we  take  no  notice  of  it  ;  we  are  used  to  whims 
of  this  kind. 

Augtist  \Wi. 
It  was  the  day  before  yesterday  that  our  vans  at  length 
set  off,  in  the  midst  of  a  noisy  assemblage  of  the  whole 
population  now  at  Scshcke.  They  did  not  go  far.  They 
stuck  in  the  sand  two  miles  from  the  station.  The  young 
Morantsiane,  perched  on  the  cone  of  an  ant-heap,  and  escorted 
by  some  youngsters,  pretended  that  it  was  he  who  checked 
us  in  this  way,  to  avenge  the  affront  I  had  put  upon  him  by 
refusing  him  my  pocket-knife.  The  next  day,  he  sent  me  a 
rather  more  polite  message.  He  had  consulted  the  litaola,  and 
the  oracle  had  replied  that  Scpopa  (a  famous  king  who  had 
restored  the  Barotsi  power  after  the  fall  of  the  Makololo)  was 
incensed  against  me  because  I  had  not  yet  rendered  to  him 
the  homage  due.  What  he  now  requires  is  the  offering  of 
an  ox,  a  goat,  a  sheep,  some  calico,  etc.,  and  then  "  he  will 
give  me  the  road."  To  the  stupefaction  of  my  Sesheke 
friends,  I  simply  unloaded  part  of  the  luggage,  which  I  brought 
back  to  the  station  ;  and  while  the  waggons,  thus  lightened, 
continued  their  way  without  hindrance,   I   stayed  to  pass  the 


COLLAPSE   OF   A   WAGGON  239 

day  with  my  own  people.  The  house  was  very  empty  without 
Middleton  and  Waddell.  What  will  it  be  when  I  am  finally 
gone  away  too  ?  This  day  went  by  on  wings.  Four  o'clock 
struck.  We  threw  ourselves  on  our  knees.  And  then — was 
it  a  dream  ?  I  found  myself  all  alone,  ambling  slowly  with  a 
heavy  heart.  My  looks  involuntarily  turned  back,  and  sought 
yet  to  distinguish  certain  forms :  the  waving  of  a  handker- 
chief. .  .  .  But  no  !  it  is  weakness.  Forward !  And  striking 
my  spurs,  I  plunged  resolutely  into  the  wood. 

My  excellent  nag  speedily  brought  me  to  the  waggons. 
We  travelled  a  great  part  of  the  night,  and  before  dawn  we 
were  already  on  the  march  again.  But  what  was  my  dismay 
on  discovering  this  morning  that,  in  spite  of  tolerably  recent 
repairs,  the  two  right  wheels  of  my  waggon  threatened  to 
collapse.  The  naves  are  completely  rotten  ;  you  can  plunge  a 
knife-blade  into  them  like  cork  ;  the  spokes  work  up  and  down 
like  pistons,  one  after  another.  To  console  mc,  they  say  and 
repeat  and  shout  in  every  key  all  round  me,  that  it  will  assuredly 
break  up,  and  will  never  reach  the  Valley.  I  could  have  boxed 
the  ears  of  these  prophets.  Not  only  must  my  waggon  take  me 
to  the  Valley,  but  it  iniist  come  back  and  bring  my  dear  wife 
there  too.  And  then  it  will  have  deserved  well  of  the  mission 
and  of  its  friends.  There  are  few  missionary  waggons  which  have 
rolled  as  far — few  which  have  given  so  much  satisfaction  to 
their  travellers.  Ten  years'  service  in  a  country  without  roads, 
among  woods  and  rocks  and  burning  sands,  without  ever  being 
sheltered  from  the  wind,  the  rain,  and  the  rays  of  a  tropical 
sun,  is  much — very  much.  How  shall  we  replace  our  good  old 
waggon,  our  home  of  so  many  years  in  the  desert  ?  Meanwhile, 
let  us  repair  it  as  best  we  can.  It  is  the  work  of  some  hours 
to  shorten  the  circumference  of  the  wheels,  to  tighten  the  iron 
tyres  and  the  spokes  with  wedges  of  wood.  With  this  lame 
arrangement,  we  continue  our  way,  often  casting  uneasy  looks 
at  the  unlucky  wheels. 

MosiKU,!,  Augtist  22nd. 

Only  fifty  miles  from  Seshckc  after  a  whole  week  of  toil  ! 
But  patience  !  Once  we  are  fairly  off,  we  shall  travel  better.  We 
made  a  sensation  passing  through  the  villages  of  Ratali,  Katukura, 
Kuenane,  etc.,  for  the  poor  people  have  never  seen  oxen  under 


240  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

the  yoke,  nor  houses  on  wheels.  On  the  20th,  we  reached 
Loanja,  of  which  we  have  heard  so  much.  It  is  the  granary 
of  the  country.  At  certain  seasons,  the  Loanja  is  a  stream, 
or  rather  a  lake ;  now  it  is  an  immense  morass  along  its 
whole  course,  averaging  half  a  mile  in  width.  Its  valley  is 
extremely  fertile.  All  the  cereals  of  the  country  are  cultivated 
there.  For  the  manioc  and  sweet  potato,  they  make  beds  on 
the  borders  of  the  swamp,  and  surround  them  with  deep 
trenches  to  drain  them.  It  was  not  easy  for  us  to  avoid  either 
these  deep  ditches  or  the  traps  for  big  game  which  abound  on 
the  skirts  of  the  woods.  Happily,  these  pits  are  not  furnished 
with  pointed  stakes,  as  those  of  the  Banyai  are.  What  a  rich 
country  this  would  be  in  the  hands  of  European  agriculturists ! 
Having  reached  the  confines  of  the  tse-tse  country,  we  ask 
in  the  king's  name  for  help  and  a  guide  from  a  petty  chief, 
who  simply  laughs  at  us.  Of  our  pretended  guides,  not  one 
knows  the  way,  nor  has  the  power,  with  which  we  believed  them 
to  be  invested,  to  procure  us  the  help  we  require.  They  are 
nothing  but  a  torment  to  us  with  the  airs  they  give  themselves. 
Monibotale  is  quite  an  inferior  village  chief ;  but  when  he  talks 
of  himself,  which  happens  not  infrequently,  he  is  a  Nguana- 
Morena  ^  (a  prince),  a  Khosi  e  Kana-Kana,  such  a  very  great 
personage !  Why  did  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke  insist  so  strongly 
on  our  taking  this  route,  rather  than  the  one  Lewanika  was  to 
open  on  Sekhosi's  side  ?  Our  people  see  in  this  nothing  but  a 
malicious  and  sordid  ruse. 

As  we  have  to  travel  by  night  now,  Middleton  and  Waddell, 
with  two  natives,  offered  to  go  on  in  advance,  to  clear  the  road. 
Thinking  they  were  too  few  for  so  heavy  a  task,  I  was  inspired 
with  the  unlucky  idea  of  starting  too,  with  my  hatchet  over  my 
shoulder.  Waddell  had  an  attack  of  fever,  and  dragged  along 
painfully.  We  hacked  vigorously  away.  Here  and  there  we 
lighted  great  fires  to  show  the  direction  of  the  road.  At  ten 
o'clock,  we  reached  Mosikili,  where  we  were  to  wait  for  the 
waggons.  My  companions,  tired  out,  curled  themselves  up 
round  the  fire,  for  it  was  cold,  and  quickly  dropped  off  to  sleep 
Alone,  I  stood  to  keep  watch,  plunging  my  gaze  into  the 
thick    darkness,   straining   my   ear   at   the  least  noise,  until    I 

'  Nguana-Morcna  =  child  of  a  chief,  i.e.  prince  ;  Nguana-Ng077ibe  =  child 
of  cattle,  i.e.  calf. 


THE   TSE-TSE   FLY  24I 

fancied  I  could  hear  the  bells  of  the  oxen,  and  see  confused 
shadows  looming  up  before  me.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
I  sent  a  couple  of  men  to  learn  what  had  happened.  The)' 
came  back  at  five,  saying  that  Aaron,  having  missed  our  road, 
had  got  his  waggon  stuck  in  the  mud  of  the  swamp.  Having 
at  once  made  the  oxen  cross  to  an  islet  where  they  could  graze 
all  day  in  safety,  I  returned  to  the  waggons.  Mine  was  indeed 
there,  almost  lying  on  its  side  in  the  slime — an  accident  which 
would  have  been  impossible  by  daylight.  The  men  were 
gloomy  and  depressed.  The  exchange  of  some  friendly  words, 
and  a  good  meal  which  we  hastily  prepared,  quickly  brought 
them  round,  and  the  poor  fellows  worked  all  day  in  the  mud 
with  admirable  spirit.  The  waggon  having  been  raised  out  of 
this  fathomless  quagmire  with  infinite  difficulty  by  means  of 
levers,  we  paved  the  spongy  ground  with  sunken  stones  and 
branches  of  trees.  Happily,  we  were  able  to  do  it  all  by 
daylight.  At  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  oxen  arrived. 
I  do  not  understand  how  these  people  can  sort  the  different 
teams,  and  then  the  oxen  belonging  to  each  yoke,  on  such  a 
dark  night,  for  there  was  no  moon.  By  ten  o'clock,  we  were 
out  of  the  marsh,  and  by  2  a.m.  at  Mosikili.  There,  alas  !  a 
new  stoppage.  Mosikili  is  an  island.  To  reach  it,  one  must 
cross  an  arm  of  the  Loanja,  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
wide,  with  water  above  one's  knee.  And  of  course  our  last 
waggon  must  needs  stick  there.  In  vain  we  double  the  teams  ; 
in  vain  everybody,  chilled  to  the  bone,  stands  and  shouts  at  the 
full  pitch  of  his  lungs.  The  first  streaks  of  dawn  are  already 
lighting  the  horizon,  and,  willy-nilly,  we  must  give  up  the  job 
until  the  next  night,  and  save  our  oxen. 

How  capricious  this  murderous  fly  is !  Can  it  be  believed 
that  swarms  of  it  abound  in  the  forests  which  skirt  the  Loanja, 
while  on  the  islands,  about  five  hundred  yards  off",  there  is  no 
trace  of  them  ?  These  islands  are  sure  and  well-known  refuges, 
where  the  Barotsi  in  travelling  always  pen  their  cattle. 

I  could  not  help  smiling  when  I  heard  of  a  curious  and 
original  theory.  It  would  seem  that  people  had  been  strangely 
mistaken  as  to  the  nature  of  the  Glossina  vwrsitans.  Its  sting, 
we  are  given  to  understand,  is  perfectly  innocuous.  The 
disasters  attributed  to  it  are  simply  the  effects  of  a  malarial 
climate.     Thus  the  oxen  are  subject  to  marsh  fever  like  their 

16 


242  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

masters  !  Well,  what  tons  of  quinine  we  should  need  to  save 
them  !  And  if,  after  all,  it  were  true,  what  fatigues  and 
anxieties  would  be  spared  us  !  It  is  a  fact  that  very  little  is 
as  yet  known  of  the  tse-tse.  It  follows  the  buffaloes  in  their 
migrations  :  so  much  is  certain.  My  own  opinion  is  that  it 
lays  its  eggs  in  their  dung,  and  that  it  sucks  their  blood  ;  for, 
according  to  the  hunters,  the  moment  they  have  knocked  over 
a  large  animal,  its  carcase  is  instantly  covered  with  swarms 
of  tse-tse. 

August  227id  (?  2yd). 

How  difficult  is  the  education  of  our  Zambcsians  ;  above  all, 
of  the  Mathambezi!^  River  people,  passionately  addicted  to 
fishing  and  canoeing,  all  other  kinds  of  work  they  abominate, 
and  this  kind  especially.  They  are  afraid  of  the  oxen  ;  they 
abhor  the  waggons  and  the  night  journeys.  And  here  are  two 
successive  nights  that  they  have  not  slept.  They  are  chilly, 
and  that  makes  them  cross  ;  one  can  only  stir  them  by  scolding. 
Provided  they  have  food,  fire,  and  sleep,  nothing  else  matters 
much  to  them.  Whether  we  progress  or  not,  whether  the 
cattle  stray  or  the  waggons  stick,  they  care  very  little.  A 
scene  took  place  this  morning,  during  which  all  the  bitterness 
of  the  Mathambezi  overflowed.  The  Zambesians  struck  very 
decidedly  :  they  rolled  up  their  mat.s,  and  prepared  to  go 
home. 

"  Be  off ! "  cried  all  the  drivers  at  once.  "  Be  off,  quick  ! 
If  it  were  not  for  the  Moriiti,  we  would  thrash  you  all  like  dogs. 
Begone  with  you,  foxes — run  !  " 

And  if  they  had  gone  ?  .  .  .  I  called  the  recalcitrants,  and 
addressed  some  sharp  reprimands  to  them,  which  they  received 
with  a  fawning  air,  repeating  at  every  sentence,  "  Nlate^  Ntate  " 
("  Father  "),  and  then  went  back  to  their  work. 

Thus  for  the  time  the  storm  was  calmed.  But  it  did  not 
make  the  boys  do  their  work  with  any  better  grace.  The 
stuck  waggon  kept  us  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  and  we 
are  forced  to  stay  here  over  Sunday. 

Kalangu,  August  2^th. 
Kalangu  is  the  name  of  a  petty  Matolela  chief,  extended 
also   to   his   village.     This  worthy   old   man,  learning  that  we 
'  Half-civilised  people. 


i886]  KALANGU'S  243 

were  at  Mosikili,  sent  a  band  of  young  fellows  to  meet  us  and 
guide  us,  for  fear,  he  said,  we  should  be  surprised  by  daylight 
in  the  midst  of  the  tse-tse.  We  were  travelling  royally  :  it  was 
a  treat.  Suddenly  the  cry  of  alarm  sounded  from  behind.  We 
ran  with  our  lanterns.  "  The  oxen  won't  go  on,"  Kamburu 
said  piteously  ;  "  we  can't  manage  it."  A  moment's  inspection, 
and  wc  discovered  that  several  had  got  the  traces  under  their 
bodies,  and  were  being  dragged  along  by  the  rest  of  the  team. 
No  wonder  they  would  not  go  on  !  This  little  incident  did  not 
damp  the  spirits  of  the  caravan.  Our  Matolela  ran  on  ahead 
with  blazing  firebrands  ;  they  screamed,  bellowed,  and  yelped 
like  a  troop  of  jackals.  Was  it  to  frighten  the  wild  beasts,  or 
to  announce  our  arrival  from  afar  ?  Our  principal  guide  has 
adopted  the  motto  that  you  must  never  give  a  white  man 
exact  information  about  the  road.  And  he  has  so  thoroughly 
indoctrinated  the  others,  that  when  we  ask  how  far  we  are 
from  Kalangu's  they  invariably  reply,  "  Oh,  it  is  still  far,  far,  very 
far  I "  "  Well  then,  let  us  outspan,  so  that  the  oxen  may  rest 
a  little."  "  What !  outspan  ? "  cried  my  mentor,  quite  taken 
aback  ;  "  but  we  are  just  there  ;  it  is  here,  close  by."  And  he 
was  right.  It  was  now  2  a.m.  As  usual,  we  crossed  the  oxen 
to  an  island,  and  sought  a  little  sleep.  When  I  awoke,  curiosity 
had  brought  the  whole  population  together :  a  grand  oppor- 
tunity for  preaching  the  Gospel  ;  and  it  was  not  the  only  one, 
for  we  had  to  pass  two  days  at  Kalangu's,  while  they  were 
clearing  the  road  before  us.  Two  pleasant  days  with  such 
sociable  people  ;  but,  alas  !  two  days  of  delay. 

August  -i^th,  1886. 

Twelve  hours  under  the  yoke — from  6  p.m.  to  6  a.m. !  In 
all  my  missionary  life,  I  only  remember  a  single  circumstance 
in  which  such  a  thing  has  befallen  me,  and  that  was  when 
the  Matabele  took  us  prisoners  among  the  Banyai.  Kalangu's 
people  conducted  us  with  lively  clamour  for  about  ten  miles, 
and  handed  us  over  to  the  petty  Matolela  chief  Moanza,  who 
was  expecting  us.  He  furnished  us  with  men,  and  we  continued 
on  our  way.  Now  it  is  that  our  difficulties  begin.  The  road 
here  has  not  been  cleared  at  all,  and  we  are  obliged  to  make  it 
as  we  go  along.  We  are  bordering  the  forest  on  the  left,  and 
the  swamp  on  the  right  in  the  direction  of  N.N.W.     Our  new 


244  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

guides  say  it  is  cold  ;  they  light  fires,  and  take  a  nap,  while  we 
are  working,  or  while  our  chariots  stick  in  the  inevitable  bogs. 
Impossible  to  procure  the  slightest  assistance.  I  consulted  my 
watch  ;  we  looked  at  the  stars  with  ever-growing  anxiety. 
"  Make  haste  ;  the  daylight  will  overtake  us."  This  was  the 
universal  cry.  In  fact,  the  dawn  appeared,  and  we  were  still  at 
some  distance  from  an  island  that  had  been  pointed  out  to  us. 
While  our  Zambesians  were  roasting  themselves  by  the  fire,  we 
hastily  outspanned  ;  and  Aaron,  with  another  conductor,  made 
our  exhausted  oxen  run  towards  the  island  in  question. 

We  were  close  to  a  deep  rivulet  whose  marshy  banks  filled 
us  with  fear.  After  a  necessarily  frugal  breakfast,  we  were 
obliged  to  seek  a  ford,  and  pave  it  with  wood  and  branches.  In 
spite  of  all  our  precautions,  the  following  night  we  were  not  out 
of  it  before  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  So  there  was  a  whole 
week  of  great  exertions  all  consumed  in  crossing  the  tse-tse 
regions.  And  we  thought  we  should  have  done  it  in  two  nights ! 
Thank  God,  however,  here  we  are  at  its  limits.  But  still  we 
have  to  inspan  before  dawn  for  safety,  and  travel  all  day  under 
a  fiery  sun  and  through  burning  sands  to  reach  the  water. 
This  journey  utterly  finishes  both  men  and  beasts :  they  can 
march  no  longer,  only  drag  themselves  along.  And  with  what 
a  cry  of  joy  we  salute  an  open  glade  that  gives  us  a  glimpse  of 
a  sheet  of  water  !     It  is  Matsa} 

At  the  rivulet  Siboya,  Attgitst  30M. 

Moanza's  people  give  us  infinite  worry  ;  they  will  not  do 
anything.  At  night,  "  t/iey  are  not  going  to  travel,  not  they  "  ; 
in  the  morning,  it  is  too  cold  to  wield  the  hatchet  ;  at  midday, 
it  is  too  hot.  I  have  tried  in  vain  to  get  rid  of  these  greedy 
vampires  ;  they  are  on  the  look  out  for  setsibas.  However,  they 
succeeded  in  making  us  lose  our  way  in  the  woods,  on  purpose, 
far  out  of  our  course,  near  another  belt  of  tse-tse.  Heaven 
knows  where  they  would  have  brought  us,  if  some  chiefs  of 
Sesheke,  who  in  their  turn  were  going  to  pay  homage  to  the 
king,  had  not  sent  us  some  good  guides.  The  forest  was  thick, 
the  sand  deep,  and  our  oxen  exhausted  ;  it  was  Saturday,  and 
it  was  necessary  at  all  costs  to  reach  the  water.     We  left  two 

•  Plural  of  letsa,  pool — "  pan  "  or  "  vley  "  in  Cape  language. 


i886]  THE   TOTAL   ECLIPSE  245 

waggons,  and  took  all  the  oxen  to  pull  the  two  others.  We 
courageously  hacked  our  way  through  the  thickets  ;  but  it  was 
impossible  to  know  the  general  direction  we  ought  to  follow, 
and  from  east  to  west,  and  vice  versa,  we  zigzagged  round 
all  the  points  of  the  compass. 

However,  towards  twilight,  we  came  out  by  a  charming 
rivulet  which  flows  north,  and  bears  its  waters  to  an  affluent 
of  the  Njoko.  Our  young  men,  tired  out,  struck,  and  refused 
every  kind  of  service.  The  next  day  was  a  miserable  Sunday, 
for  we  had  to  fetch  the  other  vehicles  left  in  a  waterless  desert. 
A  deep  sadness  possessed  me.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
we  enjoyed  the  imposing  spectacle  of  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun. 
It  was  splendid.  Our  boys,  hidden  in  the  woods,  rushed  up 
quite  thunderstruck.  "  Yo  !  we  are  all  dead  men  !  "  The  fowls 
went  to  roost  ;  the  dogs  bayed  ;  the  stars  shone  in  the  sky. 
In  the  midst  of  my  cares,  I  had  quite  forgotten  the  phenomenon, 
for  which  I  am  angry  with  myself.  We  had  a  good  meeting 
afterwards.  I  also  spoke  seriously  to  my  boys,  and  threatened 
to  complain  to  Lewanika  about  them.  I  felt  that  tluit  bolt 
missed  the  mark.  However  this  may  be,  they  promised  amend- 
ment.    The  day  closed  better  than  it  began. 

Augtist  ■}^\st. 

What  a  surprise  !  The  messenger  I  sent  to  Sesheke  last 
Friday  has  returned  already.  Three  hundred  miles  in  four  days 
and  a  half  is  not  bad.  It  took  us  two  weeks.  I  joyfully  gave 
him  his  setsiba,  and  retired  to  enjoy  by  myself  the  precious 
missives  he  brought.  Good  news  of  my  people,  thank  God  ! 
My  dear  wife,  who  had  been  ill  for  a  week  after  my  departure, 
is  better,  and  tries  to  carry  on  her  little  widowed  household. 
The  Jeanmairets  are  going  on  as  usual.  The  new  Morantsianc 
promises  to  be  a  thorn  in  their  side,  and,  as  my  wife  remarks, 
they  will  need  all  the  grace  of  God  to  know  how  to  be  both 
firm  and  kind. 

And  what  news  of  Dr.  Holub's  expedition  !  Pillaged,  com- 
pletely pillaged,  by  the  Mashukulumboe,  not  without  bloody 
reprisals !  It  has  returned  to  Kazungula  in  a  deplorable 
condition  of  sickness  and  destitution.  No  calico,  no  blankets, 
to  send  them,  for  I  had  taken  them  all.  They  are  our  purse. 
But  our  good  Dorcas,  with  the  help  of  our  "children,"  succeeded 


246  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF  CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

in  making  up  a  good  parcel  of  dresses,  linen,  soap,  etc.,  to  help 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Holub.  In  this  check,  there  are  some  details  I 
cannot  well  understand,  but  the  sympathy  of  those  who  have 
hearts  will  not  be  wanting.  I  can  easily  put  myself  in  Dr. 
Holub's  place,  for  our  Matolela  and  our  Mangete  are  no  better 
than  the  Mashukulumboe,  and  they  would  treat  us  worse  if 
they  dared.  "  Oh,  how  I  think  of  God's  mercy  ! "  writes  my 
wife ;  "  He  does  not  leave  us  to  ourselves — He  guides  us  by  His 
counsel.  And  when  darkness  surrounds  us,  such  darkness  that 
we  really  do  not  know  whether  to  turn  right  or  left.  He  says 
to  us,  '  This  is  the  way  ;  walk  ye  in  it.'  The  contrast  between 
our  expedition  and  the  Holubs'  is  quite  a  sermon  to  me.  I 
think  a  great  deal  of  what  happened  to  us  at  Masonda's,^  and 
I  tell  myself  how  easy  it  would  have  been  for  us,  by  the  slightest 
imprudence,  to  put  ourselves  into  the  same  position  as  that 
in  which  the  Holubs  now  find  themselves."  It  is  perfectly 
true. 

River  Seba,  an  affluent  of  the  Njoko,  Seplcmber  2ftd. 
We  have  worked  all  these  days,  until  the  axe  was  ready 
to  drop  from  my  hand.  We  are  all  as  black  as  sweeps,  and 
can  scarcely  look  at  each  other  without  laughing.  Since  we 
left  Sesheke,  the  country  (woods  and  plains  lately  burnt)  is 
quite  covered  with  ashes,  which,  being  stirred  up  by  the  oxen, 
envelop  us  in  a  thick  cloud.  We  can  only  breathe  when 
here  and  there  we  find  grass  of  last  year  spared  by  the  general 
conflagration.  We  do  not  get  on.  When  shall  we  arrive  ? 
Will  it  be  possible  for  my  wife  to  make  the  journey  this  year  ? 

Njoko,  September  yd. 
We  were  making  our  way  slowly  and  painfully  through  the 
woods  to  reach  a  distant  ford,  when  the  chiefs  from  Sesheke, 
of  whom  I  have  already  spoken,  and  who  acted  for  us  as  a 
volunteer  vanguard,  sent  us  information  that  they  had  found 
a  passage  close  by — a  very  good  ford,  stony  bottom,  no 
shoals,  very  little  water,  and  above  all  no  mud-holes.  We  went 
to  inspect  it ;  and  although  it  was  not  precisely  all  that  they 
said,  we  believed  it  to  be  practicable.     The  river  at  this  place 

'  See  chap.  \\. 


i886]  PASSAGE   OF   THE    NJOKO  247 

is  eighty  yards  wide,  with  a  very  rapid  current.  We  launched 
my  waggon,  drawn  by  thirty-two  oxen.  It  was  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  We  thought  all  would  be  finished  by  ten 
o'clock,  and  that,  after  the  ordinary  midday  halt,  we  should 
start,  and  travel  by  forced  marches,  so  as  to  pass  Sunday  at 
the  Lumbe.  Unhappily,  as  always  happens  in  such  cases, 
hindrances  arose  :  oxen  unharnessed,  yokes  detached,  yoke- 
keys  broken  ;  and  then,  at  the  moment  of  coming  out  of  the 
water,  the  hind  wheels  stuck  so  fast  that  one  of  the  naves 
disappeared  in  the  mud.  Before  us  a  short  but  steep  slope  ; 
the  oxen  refused  to  make  any  effort :  cries,  blows,  altering  the 
angle  of  the  traces — all  was  in  vain.  The  waggon  twice 
dragged  backwards  into  the  middle  of  the  river,  now  lurched 
to  the  left  against  a  sand-bank,  while  trying  to  avoid  a  quagmire 
on  the  right.  But  we  put  chiefs  and  Matolela  to  the  wheels ; 
a  few  strokes  of  the  spade,  a  long  pull  and  a  strong  pull,  and 
we  shall  easily  be  out  of  it !  Yes  ;  only  the  oxen  have  turned 
obstinate  and  pig-headed :  they  neither  hear  nor  feel  any  longer. 
Some  pull  backwards ;  others,  by  a  dexterous  movement  of 
the  neck,  slip  the  yokes  over  their  heads,  and  stare  defiantly 
at  the  execrable  waggon.  One  detaches  himself  and  escapes  ; 
another  lies  down,  strangles  himself  out  of  pure  contrariness, 
foams,  bellows,  and  stretches  himself  out  for  dead.  "  Bite  his 
tail  ! "  In  vain  they  bite  his  tail ;  he  remains  insensible. 
Order  being  at  last  established,  and  each  man  at  his  post,  before 
unloading  we  make  one  last  effort.  Our  Matolela  find  it  is 
less  trouble  to  work  with  the  tongue  than  with  the  shoulder ; 
they  make  an  appalling  hullabaloo.  The  exasperated  oxen 
fling  themselves  to  the  right  with  such  impetuosity  that  no  one 
can  stop  them.  We  see  the  left  wheels  rising ;  the  danger  is 
imminent ;  the  frantic  people  lose  their  heads  completely.  Some 
throw  themselves  upon  the  wheels,  others  upon  the  oxen.  And 
in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  you,  the  van  had  lost  its 
centre  of  gravity,  and  lay  on  its  side,  upset  in  the  river.  A 
blank  silence  succeeded  ;  the  natives,  stupefied,  nailed  to  the 
spot,  with  their  hands  on  their  mouths,  looked  at  one  another, 
and  looked  at  me.  Certainly  it  was  not  the  time  to  lose  one's 
head.  We  outspanncd  the  oxen,  and  rushed  to  the  capsized 
waggon.  My  heart  is  sore  at  the  sight  of  this  wreck,  and  at 
the    thought   of  my   wife's   journey.      And    the   river   current. 


248  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

churning  up  the  sand  amid  the  chaos  of  our  baggage,  laughs 
aloud,  as  if  to  insult  our  misery. 

To  extricate  our  packing-cases,  flung  together  pell-mell,  to 
fish  out  our  bedding,  our  bales,  our  sacks  of  provisions,  was  a 
laborious  task,  lasting  some  hours  :  Waddell  and  Middleton 
imposed  it  on  themselves.  It  was  three  in  the  afternoon. 
Waddell  looked  as  white  as  a  sheet ;  he  staggered,  and  I 
thought  he  was  going  to  faint.  I  then  remembered  that  we 
had  had  nothing  since  the  evening  before.  I  ran  and  fetched 
him  some  wine  to  give  him  a  spurt.  I  would  fain  have  fled 
the  sickening  sight,  when  our  baggage  was  out  of  the  water. 
Here  is  my  case  of  scientific  instruments  turned  upside-down, 
the  lid  broken,  the  instruments  scattered  ;  here  is  my  bedding, 
my  change  of  garments,  my  linen,  everything  dripping  with 
water  and  full  of  sand.  There  are  our  provisions,  cofi"ee,  tea, 
lard,  honey,  with  which  our  good  housekeeper  had  taken  special 
care  to  provide  us  ;  vermicelli,  arrowroot,  very  carefully  kept 
for  times  of  illness, — all  that  spilt,  mixed  up,  trampled  in  the 
mire.  A  sack  of  flour  is  drawn  from  the  bottom  of  the  river 
which  was  to  have  lasted  us  for  months  ;  then  the  salt-bag  and 
the  sugar-bag.  But  the  bags  are  empty,  salt  and  sugar  com- 
pletely melted  !  Then,  again,  my  little  travelling  library.  Bibles, 
hymn-books,  scientific  works,  books  of  medicine,  literary  works, 
journals  and  reviews  from  the  last  post,  stationery — all  a  mass 
of  muddy  pulp.  And  to  put  the  finishing  touch,  the  whole  of 
them  thrown  on  to  a  bank  newly  swept  by  fire,  and  covered 
with  thick  layers  of  black  ashes. 

But  let  us  leave  the  baggage,  and  think  of  the  waggon.  We 
take  the  understel  to  pieces,  bit  by  bit,  which  is  easy.  Next, 
we  have  to  extricate  the  tilt,  which  is  less  so.  The  important 
thing  is  to  carry  it,  to  raise  it  at  arm's  length  above  the  great 
wheels,  so  as  to  put  it  back  on  the  understel ;  and  that  almost 
surpassed  our  strength.  The  sand  and  water  had  doubled, 
tripled  its  weight,  and  our  Matolela  left  us  almost  alone  to  make 
those  efforts  which  threatened  to  break  us  in  half  By  dint  of 
entreaties,  scoldings,  and  patience,  however,  we  at  last  accom- 
plished it,  and  finally  the  tilt  fell  into  its  place,  amid  deafening 
cheers.  So  there  is  my  poor  waggon  once  more  erect.  Good 
old  friend,  our  home  on  wheels  during  so  many  years  in  these 
far-off  and  unknown    countries,  in   the    midst  of  such  diverse 


i886]  A   DISMAL   EXHIBITION  249 

adventures,  what  a  crushed  and  melancholy  look  you  wear, 
with  your  sides  forced  in,  porch  in  rags,  windows  ^  smashed,  tilt 
torn  and  muddy,  box  and  brake  all  to  pieces  ! 

It  was  now  twilight.  Everybody  had  dispersed  over  the 
neighbouring  hillock  to  bivouac.  I  was  left  quite  alone,  in  the 
midst  of  my  wreckage.  The  one  thing  that  shone  out  amid 
the  tumult  of  my  thoughts  was  a  lively  sense  of  God's  goodness. 
Undoubtedly,  I  shall  have  to  pay,  and  pay  rather  dearly,  for 
the  services  of  the  Sesheke  chiefs.  But  these  services  were  a 
great  help  to  us  ;  their  behaviour  gave  us  pleasure.  What  should 
we  have  done  without  them,  at  the  mercy  of  the  Mangete 
and  Matolela?  Above  all,  what  should  we  have  done,  if  such 
an  accident  had  befallen  us  in  the  swamps  of  Loanja,  at  night, 
in  the  midst  of  the  tse-tse  country,  my  wife  with  us,  far  from 
any  village  and  any  possible  help  ?  The  accident  might  have 
been  ten  times,  a  hundred  times  worse,  and  quite  irremediable. 
At  the  camp,  the  Barotsi  had  made  me  a  shelter  against  the 
blowing  wind  with  some  branches  and  a  little  grass.  Waddell 
offered  me  his  Scotch  plaid,  which  I  could  not  accept ;  Middleton 
procured  me  one  or  two  cotton  coverlets  ;  Kamburu  had  found 
me  some  grass  for  my  couch ;  Aaron  gave  me  his  pillow ;  and 
Nguana-Ngombe,  ill  as  he  was,  had  furnished  me  with  the 
garment  of  the  poor,  a  blazing  fire.  Thus  cosseted  by  all 
my  people,  and  exhausted  with  fatigue,  I  lay  down  and  slept 
profoundly  till  morning.  Then  we  had  to  begin  our  task  over 
again  ;  carry  all  our  luggage  in  our  arms  to  the  plateau  ;  and, 
in  the  midst  of  a  curious  and  ever-increasing  crowd,  who  have 
no  honesty  to  spare,  nor  discretion  either,  to  empty  the  cases, 
spread  out  dresses,  clothing,  linen,  remnants,  utter  rags,  the 
colours  coming  off  on  one  another,  articles  of  barter,  provisions, 
groceries — all  damaged  and  already  fermenting !  What  an 
exhibition  !  It  was  then  that  I  could  take  stock  of  our  losses. 
How  priceless  henceforth  will  everything  be  which  reaches  the 
Valley  safe  and  sound  !  It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  dismal 
drying-ground  that  I  preached  the  Gospel  to  an  audience  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  people.  The  men  listened  attentively, 
but  the  chatter  of  the  women  knew  no  respite  :  their  ears  were 
closed  to  the  preaching.  It  was  our  frippery  that  absorbed  their 
looks  and  thoughts.     It  saddened  me  deeply. 

'  Of  four  small  panes — an  unusual  luxury  in  a  waggon. 


250  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

At  the  Lumbe  River,  September  wth. 

The  journey  is  most  laborious.  Our  axes  do  not  grow  rusty, 
but  our  arms  grow  weary.  The  sand  is  such,  and  our  oxen 
are  so  tired,  that  we  scarcely  make  two  miles  an  hour.  Middle- 
ton's  team  is  reduced  from  fourteen  to  ten  ;  we  are  obliged 
to  leave  his  waggon  behind  to  fetch  it  later  on,  and  that  doubles 
our  stages.  At  Lake  Kambe,  Waddell  knocked  down  an  antelope, 
a  khokong  (gnu).  I  was  proud  of  it  for  him,  for  it  was  his 
first  piece  of  big  game,  and  pleased  for  ourselves  because  of 
the  meat. 

Directing  our  course  N.N.W.  through  a  wood,  we  came  out 
on  the  dried-up  lake  of  Isemvu,  thence  into  the  spongy  valley 
of  a  stream,  tributary  to  the  Lumbe.  At  its  source,  it  is 
nothing  but  a  marsh ;  two  miles  lower  down  are  pools  ;  and 
farther  on,  joining  itself  to  another  affluent  of  the  Lumbe,  it 
forms  impracticable  swamps,  stretching  away  out  of  sight. 
Impossible  to  get  near  the  Lumbe.  At  9  p.m.,  we  halted 
at  the  edge  of  a  forest,  to  pass  Sunday  there.  "  The  Lumbe," 
said  our  enlighteners,  "  has  only  one  known  ford,  and  this  ford 
is  deep :  the  water  reaches  to  the  neck."  This  was  sad  news 
indeed.  A  visit  that  we  paid  it  next  day  convinced  us  that 
this  report  falls  far  short  of  the  truth.  To  reach  the  river,  we 
must  cross  morasses,  and  skirt  deep  pools,  treading  a  soft, 
saturated  soil.  At  first  sight,  it  seems  physically  impossible. 
Must  we  unload  everything,  take  it  all  to  pieces,  carry  luggage 
and  waggon  in  our  arms,  and  transport  the  whole  in  canoes? 
And  how  many  days  will  that  take  us  ?     I  dare  not  think  of  it. 

On  the  Lumbe,  right  bank,  Sepiemher  10th. 

What  a  delicious  day  of  rest  we  had  here  yesterday !  The 
first  since  we  set  out.  One  must  work  all  the  week  as  we  do 
to  know  with  what  joy  we  greet  the  Lord's  Day.  After 
breakfast  and  worship,  each  one  seeks  out  a  shady,  quiet  corner, 
and  sleeps — sleeps  as  though  he  had  never  slept  before.  I  read, 
write,  meditate,  and  with  one  bound  behold  me  travelling  in 
every  part  of  the  world.  I  am  in  Leribe,  ...  in  Europe,  .  .  . 
in  France.  I  see  those  happy  meetings  which  from  afar  seem 
to  me  like  spiritual  feasts.  My  sky  darkens  a  little ;  the 
solitude  around  me  grows  vaster  ;  I  feel  myself  in  a  dry  and 
thirsty   land  where   no  water   is.     Satan  is   not  far   off.     But 


i886]  -        THE   LUMB£   RIVER  25 1 

while  I  am  letting  my  thoughts  rove,  a  vision  suddenly 
illuminates  them.  Rising  to  a  higher  plane,  I  see  no  longer 
merely  the  places  known  and  loved,  the  Bethels  of  my 
pilgrimages,  but  I  review  the  countries  of  the  whole  world 
where  the  preaching  of  the  Good  News  resounds.  I  seem  to 
hear  it  mounting  towards  the  sky,  from  populous  cities  and 
deserts,  from  towns  and  hamlets,  from  continents  and  isles 
lost  in  the  sea,  a  universal  symphony  of  praise,  wherein  the 
diversities  of  human  tongue  are  harmoniously  blended.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  day  is  about  to  break,  in  which  every 
knee  shall  bow  to  Jesus,  and  every  tongue  confess  that  He  is 
Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father !  Then  I  take  courage 
and  leap  for  joy.  Around  me,  it  is  true,  all  is  yet  silence  and 
darkness.  But  what  will  it  be  when  these  tribes  of  the  Zambesi 
and  the  nations  of  the  interior  see  the  Great  Light,  and  join 
their  voices  to  this  mighty  concert  ? 

From  here,  we  can  still  see  our  camp  of  last  week  :  we  have, 
however,  made  a  great  step  forward,  for  then  we  were  on  the 
left  bank,  and  here  we  are  on  the  right  bank.  The  Lumbe  is 
a  deep  stream,  and  its  banks  cannot  contain  it.  It  spreads 
into  a  denuded  plain,  several  miles  wide,  where  it  divides  into 
an  infinity  of  branches,  separated  by  impassable  swamps  which 
are  characteristic  of  the  rivers  in  the  intertropical  and  equatorial 
regions  of  this  continent.  It  flows  parallel  to  the  Njoko  from 
north  to  south,  and  thirty  leagues  from  here  throws  itself 
into  the  Zambesi  from  the  top  of  a  basalt  wall,  where  it  forms 
a  series  of  cascades.  I  have  tried  to  determine  its  geographical 
position.  For  two  days,  we  explored  its  course,  some  of  us  on 
foot,  and  some  on  horseback,  without  finding  any  ford  but  the 
one  in  front  of  us.  However,  discovering  a  less  marshy  place, 
where  the  waggons  could  approach  the  river  without  too  much 
danger,  we  decided  to  pass  our  baggage  over  in  canoes,  and 
afterwards  risk  our  empty  vehicles  at  the  ford  already  mentioned. 
Some  petty  chiefs,  attracted  by  the  bait  of  sefsiYxrs,  soon  ran 
up  with  some  men.  "  The  river  was  almost  empty,"  an  old  man 
said  to  me  ;  "  but  since  that  terrible  marvel  of  the  other  day,  it 
has  filled  up  again."  Unlucky  eclipse  !  what  calamities  are  not 
attributed  to  it  ?  The  canoes  they  brought  were  quite  small  : 
a  single  person  with  an  oarsman  can  kneel  in  one,  if  he  keep 
his  balance  very  nicely.     The  idea  occurred  to  me  of  coupling 


252  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

them  two  and  two,  and  thus  we  transported  all  our  baggage 
without  the  least  accident.  The  passage  of  the  ford  was  much 
more  dangerous.  But  we  had  taken  our  measures.  With  the 
help  of  the  thick  cords  of  the  country,  we  succeeded,  not  without 
trouble,  in  preventing  the  teams  and  waggons  from  being  carried 
away  by  the  current.  There  you  have  the  work  of  a  whole 
week.  With  a  bridge,  it  would  have  taken  a  few  minutes.  Poor 
Africa  !     Happy  civilised  countries  ! 

Our  provisions  were  at  the  lowest  ebb,  and  there  is  a  famine 
in  the  country.  Impossible  to  procure  victuals  before  reaching 
Ruyi.^  And  how  get  there  with  exhausted  oxen  ?  We  took  a 
great  resolution.  We  chose  the  best  oxen,  took  two  waggons, 
and  left  the  two  others,  which  we  shall  fetch  later  on.  We  gave 
Franz  and  Kamburu  the  remainder  of  our  food,  calico,  and 
beads,  and  bade  them  good-bye.  We  travel  much  better  now. 
We  have  made  seven  leagues  to-day  towards  the  north-east, 
still  following  the  valley,  or  rather  the  plain,  of  the  Lumbe.  It 
is  not  less  than  five  or  six  miles  across,  and  is  bordered  on  both 
sides  by  woods,  sending  out  sandy  spurs  which  we  could  not 
avoid.  The  soil  is  rich  in  minerals,  and  we  find  here  and  there 
the  remains  of  former  smelting  furnaces.  We  are  not  far  from 
the  celebrated  mines  of  Kachenje,  whence  the  Matolela^  of 
the  whole  country  extract  iron  for  their  own  use,  as  well  as 
for  their  small  commerce  and  the  tribute  they  owe  to  the  king. 
It  would  seem  that,  formerly,  mining  operations  were  seriously 
carried  on  in  the  Lumbe  Valley,  as  in  all  the  tributaries  of  the 
Zambesi.  Evidently  a  dense  population  once  dwelt  there, 
judging  by  the  fields  lying  fallow,  and  the  raised  beds  surrounded 
by  trenches,  now  covered  with  grass,  where  the  manioc  and 
sweet  potato  were  cultivated.  From  a  distance  one  would  take 
them  for  tombs. 

What  has  become  of  this  population  ?  A  melancholy  prob- 
lem. When  I  travelled  by  canoe  on  the  Zambesi,  and  wondered 
at  the  depopulation  of  so  rich  a  country,  my  guide  told  mc 
that  the  inhabitants  had  retreated  towards  the  interior  for 
greater  security.  And  now  the  still  more  remote  north  is 
pointed  out  to  me  as  their  whereabouts.     At  Sesheke,  they  told 

'  Or  Luyi. 

^  This  tribe  has  almost  the  monopoly  of  iron-smelting  and  working,  the 
making  of  knives,  assegais,  etc. 


A   GREAT   MISFORTUNE  253 

US  that  we  should  travel  amcjiiL;"  numerous  tribes — Machaba- 
chaba.  Where  arc  they?  Here  and  there  a  village,  a  hamlet 
hidden  in  the  woods— that  is  all.  The  conquest  of  the  country 
by  the  Makololo  has  begun  this  work  of  destruction  which  the 
insatiable  rapacity  of  the  Barotsi  still  carrier  on. 

In  the  hands  of  European  colonists,  this  country  would  prove 
inexhaustibly  rich.  Everything  could  be  cultivated  there,  the 
products  of  tropical  as  well  as  those  of  temperate  climates. 
The  drawback  is  the  question  of  markets — that  is,  ways  of  trans- 
port. At  any  rate,  even  now  there  would  be  a  work  for 
commercial  philanthropists  to  do.  From  the  missionary  point 
of  view,  if  we  were  rich  in  men  and  means,  there  is  room  for 
a  missionary  establishment  in  the  environs  of  Njoko.  Already 
there  are  several  villages  there ;  and  one  is  justified  in  believing 
that  the  scanty  population  would  group  itself  round  a  station. 
It  would  be  a  connecting  link  between  Sesheke  and  Lealuyi. 

September  ii7id. 

Misfortunes  never  come  singly.  First  it  is  a  sheep  that  dies, 
then  a  goat,  then  a  calf.  Good-bye  to  milk.  Then  it  is  an  ox 
that  breaks  its  leg,  and  must  be  slaughtered.  All  that  is 
nothing.  But  here  is  my  watch,  my  inseparable  companion 
night  and  day,  my  repeater,  the  memento  of  a  friend  now  in 
heaven,  my  only  watch,  which  is  broken  and  will  not  go.  In 
vain  I  look  at  it,  coax  it,  wind  it  ;  its  pulse  has  ceased  to  beat, 
and  here  I  am  without  a  watch.  I  had  another  indeed,  but  I 
was  constrained  to  give  it  away  in  recognition  of  services 
rendered  to  us.  I  feel  quite  at  sea.  How  can  such  a  misfortune 
have  befallen  me  ?  Could  it  have  been  at  the  Lumb6,  in  wielding 
the  hatchet  through  the  woods  ? 

Another  vexation.  The  guides  given  us  by  the  chief 
Moana-Moari  have  led  us  astray.  Having  reached  a  path  that 
they  assured  us  was  the  right  one,  we  left  the  Lumbe  to  plunge 
into  the  forest.  We  worked  without  intermission  all  the  after- 
noon and  the  next  morning  to  open  the  road.  But  the  path 
swerved  from  south-west  to  south.  That  was  not  our  direction  ; 
I  began  to  have  my  doubts.  Close  by  a  leafy  shelter  a  fire  was 
still  burning,  and  we  found  there  the  remains  of  a  recent  meal. 
Evidently  it  was  some  travellers',  who  had  just  fled  at  our 
approach.     In  a  moment,  Aaron  had  mounted  the  horse.     Oh 


254  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

that  good  horse,  what  services  he  has  rendered  us  !  God  bless 
you,  unknown  friends  who  gave  him  to  us.  Aaron  reached  the 
travellers,  allayed  their  terrors,  and  learnt  from  them  that  the 
path  we  were  following  led  to  the  mines  of  Kachenje  ;  the  road 
to  Ruyi  ^  is  farther  on.  Good :  there  is  so  much  labour  lost ! 
We  retrace  our  steps,  and  push  twelve  miles  farther  on.  Some 
travellers,  who  were  bringing  a  troop  of  young  girls  for  the 
service  of  the  king's  house,  reassured  us.  "It  is  the  highway 
to  the  capital ;  there  is  no  other."  This  highway  is  not  two 
feet  wide.  It  is  because  the  natives,  however  numerous  they 
be,  never  walk  abreast,  but  always  in  single  files,  strictly 
observing  the  rules  of  precedence.  We  set  to  work  again,  and 
came  out  at  the  Isiki  Pan.  This  is  one  of  the  numerous  lakes 
dotted  about  between  the  Lumbe  and  the  Ruyi,  very  shallow 
depressions  of  the  soil,  which  partly  dry  up  in  spring,  but  which, 
at  floodtime,  form  immense  sheets  of  water  from  the  surplus 
of  the  Zambesi.  I  succeeded  in  buying  a  little  corn  from  the 
travellers  we  met,  and  even  salt.  Salt !  Aaron,  who  scented 
it  out  before  I  did,  went  off  secretly,  and  bought  a  tiny  little 
calabash  of  it,  which  he  presented  to  me.  This  salt  is  still  quite 
full  of  sand  and  earth  :  all  the  same,  it  is  salt  ;  and  when  one  has 
been  deprived  of  it  for  days,  one  could  crunch  it  up  like  sugar. 

At  the  River  Motondo,  September  zc^th. 
Nambora  ka  nkoh !  This  was  our  nightmare  ever  since 
Sesheke.  Every  one  spoke  of  it  with  terror.  Nambora  ka 
nkoli — that  is,  the  forest  "  where  one  only  drinks  the  water  in 
his  gourd."  It  is  all  thickets,  sand;  and  thirst.  The  Zambesians 
have  a  terrible  fear  of  thirst,  and  endure  it  very  ill.  The  water 
of  their  river  is  delicious,  and  they  drink  it  for  pleasure.  To 
be  reduced  to  what  is  in  one's  gourd  spells  calamity.  It  took 
two  days  to  make  a  passage  through  this  ill- famed  forest. 
Happily,  Middleton,  now  that  he  no  longer  has  his  waggon, 
can  take  my  hatchet  and  help  me.  It  is  only  thirty  miles 
across  ;  we  entered    it   at  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  at 

1  In  a  private  letter,  M.  Coillard  says  :  "The  Zambesians  make  a  remark- 
able confusion  of  the  /and  the  r.  The  natives  do  not  seem  to  make  mistakes, 
but  the  shade  of  difference  still  escapes  us.  We  hear  Loboshi  and  Robosi, 
used  indifferently  for  king  Lewanika's  youthful  name  ;  Rumbe  and  Lumbe 
Rttyi  and  Luyi.  Euphony  seems  to  give  the  preference  to  the  sound  of  /  in 
Lealuyi."     Major  Serpa  Pinto  uniformly  calls  Robosi  Lobossi. 


i886]  THE   RUYI   RIVER  255 

night  we  had  left  it  behind  us.  "  No  more  difficulties ;  we 
have  passed  Navibora  ka  nkoli"  We  came  out  upon  an  open 
glade.  It  is  neither  a  valley  nor  a  plain.  It  is  partly  both — 
an  immense  grassy  track  four  miles  wide,  which  appears  on 
the  horizon  north-north-cast  between  little  hills,  and  disappears 
in  the  distance  on  the  north-west  between  other  blue  hills — 
a  wide  marsh,  where  the  Motondo,  without  banks,  spreads 
out  over  a  soil  which  it  saturates  like  a  sponge.  Here  and 
there  it  forms  deep  pools,  divides  and  subdivides  into  several 
branches,  which  try  to  hollow  out  a  channel  each  for  itself. 
On  the  banks  of  this  immense  swamp,  a  light  crust  forms, 
elastic  to  the  tread.  Woe  to  the  ox  or  the  wheel  that  breaks 
through  it !  It  will  find  a  fathomless  quagmire.  Alas  !  that 
is  just  what  befell  us  ;  and  though  we  had  crossed  our  luggage 
bit  by  bit  in  the  cart,  my  empty  waggon  fell  through,  all  four 
wheels,  as  high  as  the  floor  ;  and  it  was  only  after  two  days' 
unspeakable  labour  that  we  got  it  out,  almost  by  miracle.  On 
the  principal  arm  of  the  Motondo,  there  is  still  to  be  seen 
a  confused  mass  of  cleft  stakes.  These  are  the  ruins  of  a  bridge, 
a  rustic  one  indeed,  which  Lewanika  in  one  of  his  expeditions 
had  made  for  his  army  to  cross  over. 

At  the  Ruyi  River,  October  ist. 
After  the  Motondo,  here  is  the  Ruyi,  separated  from  us 
by  a  wood  eight  miles  broad.  The  Ruyi  is  an  enlarged 
edition  of  the  Motondo — a  marshy  plain  of  similar  appearance, 
where  the  Ruyi  meanders,  spreads  out,  forms  pools,  ponds, 
lagoons,  and  brooks.  I  rode  on  ahead,  and  directed  my  steps 
towards  an  islet  covered  with  huts,  like  straggling  beads  on 
a  rosary.  At  the  sight  of  my  extraordinary  quadruped,  some 
big  boys,  who  were  herding  cattle,  broke  off  their  games, 
collected  their  cows,  and  fled  with  piercing  cries.  The  men  of 
the  village  were  more  reasonable  ;  they  came  to  meet  me,  and 
led  me  across  that  labyrinth  of  ponds  and  watercourses  which 
they  call  the  ford.  The  alluvial  deposit  having  been  carried 
off  by  the  rise  of  the  waters,  there  is  nothing  left  but  a  layer 
of  sand  on  a  bed  of  clay.  We  should  thus  have  passed  without 
any  difficulty,  if,  at  the  principal  stream,  we  had  not  fallen  into 
a  quicksand.  The  chief,  Kuangu-Mune,  soon  came  to  our  help 
with  men   and  canoes.     This  venerable  old  man  immediately 


256  ON    THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

threw  himself  into  the  water,  and,  without  saluting  us,  broke 
into  voluble  prayers  and  imprecations  towards  the  gods,  who 
are  hostile  to  us.  He  sprinkled  his  arms,  his  chest,  his  forehead  ; 
he  spat  on  the  oxen  and  spat  on  the  waggon  to  exorcise  them, 
while  everybody  looked  on  reverentially.  The  ceremony 
concluded,  "  You  will  come  out  of  it  now,"  he  said,  saluting 
me  good-humourcdly  ;  "  I  have  conjured  them  away."  Indeed, 
I  gave  him  reason  to  think  so,  for,  with  the  help  of  his  canoes 
and  his  people,  I  immediately  unloaded  the  waggon.  When 
it  had  got  free  from  the  sand-bank,  the  night  was  advanced. 
I  discovered  the  next  day  that  the  water  had  penetrated  our 
cases,  and  caused  us  fresh  losses ;  and  also  that,  favoured  by 
the  darkness,  Kuangu-Mune's  people  had  robbed  us.  That 
cast  a  cloud  over  our  interview.  He  brought  me  food  by  way 
of  salutation,  and  I  made  him  a  present  worthy  of  his  own. 
But  I  peremptorily  refused  the  setsibas  these  people  asked  for 
their  services  of  the  day  before,  until  the  thief  should  be  found 
and  the  things  given  back.  We  spent  Sunday  there  to  rest 
man  and  beast,  and  with  the  guides  furnished  by  Kuangu- 
Mune  we  continued  our  tiring  journey  on  Monday. 

At  the  Springs  of  Sefula,  October  ()th. 

This  is  a  date  that  thrilled  us  with  joy.  One  more  stage, 
they  tell  us,  a  long  one,  and  we  shall  be  there.  It  is  like  a 
beautiful  dream.  They  told  us,  "  Ruyi  is  the  last  river,  the 
very  last."  But  they  did  not  tell  us  we  had  passed  the  last 
bad  places.  But  let  us  speak  no  more  of  them.  The  long 
night  journeys  with  waggons  sinking  in  mire,  or  bumping 
against  thick  trees  ;  the  day  marches  under  a  fiery  sun,  where 
the  oxen  bore  the  yoke  so  mournfully,  and  so  painfully  ploughed 
the  sands,  while  the  drivers  dragged  themselves  wearily  along, 
and  guided  their  teams  as  if  they  had  given  up  the  last  hope 
of  being  obeyed  ;  the  unreasoning  murmurs,  and  the  agonising 
cares, — all  these  will  now  be  over.  Perhaps  we  shall  have  the 
consolation  of  finding  ourselves  in  conflict  with  difficulties  of 
another  sort. 

PVom  Ruyi,  bearing  to  the  north-west,  we  pass  Lake 
Mokangu,  a  fine  expanse  of  water,  then  Kataba,  then  the  brook 
of  Moale,  separated  from  one  another  by  zones  of  forest,  and 
communicating  with  the  Zambesi,  whose  overflow  they  receive. 


iS86]  THE   SPRINGS   OF   SEFULA  257 

The  country  itself  presents  the  same  aspect  almost  every- 
where from  Seshcke  hitherto  :  plains,  sands,  denuded  clearings, 
and  marshes — vast  solitudes,  so  silent  by  day  that  it  is  hard  to 
believe  they  are  inhabited,  a  melancholy  panorama  of  extreme 
monotony,  in  which  it  is  difficult  to  find  one's  bearings.  The 
dunes  which  run  along  the  Njoko,  and  keep  it  confined  in  its 
bed,  form  the  sole  exception.  With  the  intelligent  Mangete 
these  interminable  woods  are  not  entirely  without  interest 
They  readily  acquaint  you  with  the  great  variety  of  wild  fruits 
one  finds  there,  the  different  kinds  of  honey,  etc.  They  show 
you  the  india-rubber  tree,  a  magnificent  tree  of  the  fig  family, 
which  the  Barotsi  are  fond  of  planting  on  the  tombs  of  their 
kings,  and  many  other  species  of  which  they  do  not  know  the 
commercial  value.  You  are  especially  struck  by  the  grand 
proportions  of  certain  trees  which  are  covered  with  a  cork  bark. 
Not  that  this  cork  is  good  for  anything  ;  but  intelligent  culture 
might  improve  it.  I  do  not  speak  of  the  gums,  nor  of  the  wild 
cotton  one  finds  everywhere,  nor  yet  of  the  precious  fibres 
which  European  industry  could  not  fail  to  turn  to  account.  But 
these  Zambesian  forests  m.ust  not  make  you  think  of  the 
equatorial  ones,  still  less  of  those  in  Europe  or  the  New  World. 
No,  our  forests  are  what  the  English  in  Australia  call  busJi — a 
mass  of  trees  and  shrubs,  torn  about  by  the  winds,  stunted,  and, 
in  general,  prematurely  old.  Life  there  languishes  and  easily 
flickers  out.  The  sands  of  which  we  have  to  complain  so  much 
cover  up  a  very  hard  and  impermeable  layer.  That  explains 
at  once  the  astonishing  fertility  of  this  sandy  veldt  where 
irrigation  is  impossible,  and  the  paralysis  of  aboresccnt  growth. 
There  are  exceptions  to  this.  By  infiltration,  all  these  de- 
pressions of  the  soil,  these  natural  reservoirs  they  call  matsa, 
communicate  with  one  another,  and  give  birth  to  numerous 
watercourses,  like  the  Seba,  the  Siboya,  the  Scfula,  the 
Kanyonyo,  etc.  Geology  will  one  day  reveal  to  us  the  mineral 
riches  of  these  countries,  if  any  exist. 

Sefula,  October  i6th  to  lyd. 

From  the  Springs  of  Sefula,  it  took  four  days  for  a  band  of 
twelve  men  to  open  a  passage  for  us  through  the  fores l  of 
Kanyonyo.  And  then,  what  a  disappointment  to  find  tha:  the 
little  valley  and  the  neighbouring  heights  were  all  covered  with 

'7 


25B  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF  CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1886 

springing  fields,  and  that  it  was  not  possible  for  us  to  find 
a  place  to  settle  in.  Thence  consultations  and  new  delays. 
Lewanika,  annoyed  with  his  people,  sent  word  to  us,  "  Establish 
yourselves  at  Kanyonyo  ;  the  valley  is  yours ;  they  know  it. 
Shut  your  eyes  and  ears  ;  graze  your  oxen  among  these  fields  ; 
don't  disturb  yourselves  on  that  account."  And  in  five  or  six 
weeks  these  starving  people — for  there  is  a  famine — will  be 
beginning  to  eat  their  maize,  their  sweet  potatoes,  and  their 
pumpkins  ! 

Without  further  hesitation,  I  steered  for  the  place  we  had 
chosen  two  years  ago.  We  arrived  there  on  October  nth,  in 
the  evening,  after  a  fatiguing  and  adventurous  day.  First,  we 
had  to  cross  the  little  river,  which  loses  itself  in  a  marsh. 
We  spent  the  whole  day  beside  it,  unloading  and  reloading 
the  waggons,  dragging  them  through  the  morasses,  carrying 
baggage  o  1  our  backs  across  the  bogs,  waist-deep,  among  reeds 
and  rushes,  whose  young  shoots  wounded  the  feet  of  our  poor 
people. 

Night  fell.  But  a  darkness  deeper  than  that  of  night 
oppressed  my  spirit.  1  was  seized  with  an  awful  and  over- 
powering sense  of  helplessness,  distress,  and  mental  anguish. 
As  soon  as  possible,  I  retreated  to  my  waggon. 

The  cries  of  a  fowl  soon  reached  me ;  then  of  another,  then 
of  a  third.  It  was  time  to  see  to  it.  I  took  for  granted  that 
our  rabble  of  Matolela  were  indulging  in  one  of  their  favourite 
exploits — wringing  chickens'  necks.  Waddell,  always  ready  for 
anything,  bravely  took  his  mat  and  his  gun,  and  posted  himself 
behind  the  cart.  Scarcely  had  he  lain  down  than  he  detected 
a  stealthy  rustling.  He  listened  with  all  his  ears  ;  stared  into 
the  darkness  ;  and  lo !  it  was  not  a  man,  but  a  beast.  He 
fired  ;  every  one  rushed  up,  and  we  found  he  had  killed  a 
leopard.     What  a  reception,  and  what  a  prospect  for  us ! 

And  so,  after  taking  two  months  to  cover  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  leagues,  we  have  at  last  ceased  wheeling.  It  seems 
strange  to  us.  Neither  my  wife  nor  I  have  any  taste  for  waggon 
journeys  ;  and  that  of  course  makes  them  so  much  the  more 
tedious  and  prosaic.  The  tossing,  wandering  missionary  life 
we  have  led  has  not  been  dictated  by  choice.  We  sigh  for  a 
few  years'  halt  in  our  pilgrimage,  for  a  little  corner  which  we 
may  yet  be  permitted  to  call  our  liovie  on  earth,  and  above  all 


iSS6]  FAMINE  259 

for  some  work  other  than  piling  up  bricks  and  mortar,  clearing 
and  planting  for  our  successors. 

Our  camp  stands  upon  a  sandy  slope,  covered  with  a  layer 
of  ashes  and  with  thick  brushwood  recently  burned,  in  the  midst 
of  a  wood  they  have  mercilessly  rifled,  shadeless,  and  most  for- 
bidding in  aspect.  From  an  elevation  of  a  hundred  feet,  the 
sight  falls  upon  the  Sefula,  whose  jungles  and  thickets  hide  the 
stream  ;  it  follows  the  verdant  undulations  of  the  woods  beyond, 
and  then  wanders  over  the  distant  hills  whose  blue  mingles 
with  the  sky.  That  is  the  south.  On  the  west,  it  passes  through 
a  few  dried  stumps  and  mutilated  trees,  then  over  this  vast  bare 
expanse  they  call  the  Valley.  Barotsi-land  is  not  Basuto-land  ; 
still  less  is  Sefula  Leribc.  .  .  .  We  shall  get  used  to  it.  Busy 
people  do  not  know  what  home-sickness  is.  But  alas  !  at  .Sefula 
everything  has  to  be  created,  and  we  are  no  longer  young.  Shall 
we  ever  have  a  single  fruit  tree  there? — a  house?  We  shall  have 
plenty  of  time  to  think  about  them.  The  great  question  which 
preoccupies  and  absorbs  me  for  the  moment  is  the  possibility 
which  threatens  my  wife  and  myself  of  being  separated  for  a 
whole  year.  By  what  means  can  I  fetch  her,  make  her  travel 
in  the  midst  of  the  rains,  and  bring  her  here  before  the  floods 
overtake  us  in  the  desert  ?  How  can  we  shelter  ourselves  in 
the  rainy  season  ?  We  should  need  to  fly,  if  we  are  to  make  the 
journey  to  Sesheke  in  a  month,  go  and  come  back  again  ;  and 
an  ox  waggon  on  such  roads  cannot  fly.  I  dare  not  think  of 
the  river  with  its  rapids,  its  dangers,  its  canoes  always  half  full 
of  water. 

The  famine  is  such  that  we  cannot  find  workmen.  Every 
one  betakes  himself  to  the  woods,  or  goes  fishing  to  provide 
for  the  needs  of  his  own.  We  ourselves  are  only  living,  like 
every  one  else,  on  dried  fish,  which  we  buy  at  high  prices,  and 
on  cassava.  The  country  is  burnt  up,  the  season  advanced, 
and  we  have  not  yet  been  able  to  find  thatch  to  put  a  roof  over 
our  goods,  or  even  our  own  heads.  All  is  dark.  But  I  know 
Him  Who  has  said,  "  Call  upon  Me  in  the  day  of  trouble  :  I  will 
deliver  thee,  and  thou  shalt  glorify  Me."  He  always  keeps  His 
word.  When  the  Christian  is  at  the  end  of  his  resources,  and 
casts  himself  entirely  upon  God,  help  is  not  far  off.  "  It  is  good 
that  a  man  should  both  hope  and  quietly  wait  for  the  salvation 
of  the  Lord." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

The  Station  of  Sefula— Clearing  the  Ground — Lewanika's  Palace — Industry  of 
the  Barotsi — Departure  to  fetch  Mme.  Coillard — The  Thief  of  Time — 
An  Ardent  Sportsman — Justice  at  Sesheke — The  Shadow  of  the  Almighty 
— The  Source  of  Weakness — A  Ten  Years'  Pilgrimage — An  Anxious  Part- 
ing— Prosperous  Journey  to  Sefula — Miseries  of  the  Vassal  Tribes — A 
Natural  Phenomenon — Rapid  Progress  of  Mission  Buildings — The  King's 
Tribute — A  Visit  from  Leuanika. 

Sefula,  Barotsi  Valley,  November  loth,  i8S6. 

HERE  I  am  then  at  Sefula,  on  the  little  sandy  plateau  I 
spoke  of,  in  the  midst  of  a  devastated  wood,  and  under 
a  tiny  tent,  which  is  riddled  like  a  sieve,  and  lets  in  wind 
and  rain  by  turns.  I  have  planted  it  under  a  great  mahogany 
tree  for  the  sake  of  shake.  Round  me  all  is  activity.  Here 
are  two  boys  tearing  up  clumps  of  bushes  by  the  roots  to 
make  room  for  our  cottage  ;  there  is  another  charring  uprights 
for  our  walls,  that  will  preserve  them  from  damp  and  from  white 
ants.  In  the  midst  of  the  group  over  there,  some  young  men 
are  measuring,  with  noisy  satisfaction,  the  setsibas  they  have 
just  received,  for  having  built  a  hut ;  here  are  some  more  in 
single  file  bringing  stakes  and  grass  to  make  a  second  one. 
It  will  cost  me  ten  yards  of  calico,  the  same  as  the  first :  five 
boys  will  have  got  all  the  materials  together  and  finished  it  in 
three  days  !  A  hundred  paces  off,  a  fold  is  being  built ;  and 
nearer  at  hand,  in  another  direction,  our  friends  Middleton  and 
Waddell  are  sawing  away  with  an  energy  it  does  one's  heart 
good  to  see.  As  for  me,  I  come  and  go,  direct  and  superintend, 
lend  a  hand  where  it  is  most  needed  ;  I  buy  reeds  ;  I  bargain 
for  millet,  pumpkins,  and  manioc,  exchange  some  words  with 
my  visitors,  and  resume  my  work.  No  more  fish  now,  and  the 
rains  have  spoilt  all  our  provisions.  The  kitchen,  which  day 
after  day  repeats  almost  the  same  bill  of  fare,  gives  me  little 
trouble,   thanks    to    Nguana-Ngombe,    who    understands   better 

260 


i886]  LEWANIKA'S   PALACE  26 1 

than  I  how  to  make  cassava  with  water,  and  boil  pilled  viabelc. 
His  watch  never  goes  wrong,  and  our  meals  are  almost  as 
regular  as  if  we  had  our  good  housekeeper. 

Already  our  plateau  looks  rather  less  wild.  We  shall  get 
used  to  it.  Little  by  little  the  horned  stumps  and  the  brush- 
wood will  disappear  ;  eucalyptus  trees,  already  sown,  and  other 
trees  will  take  their  place.  And  if  ever  we  are  rich  enough 
to  have  a  hydraulic  pump,  and  bring  water  from  the  river  to 
our  slope,  you  will  see  what  a  pretty  kitchen  garden  we  shall 
have.     Floivers  we  must  seek  for  elsewhere,  and  fruits  too. 

Our  relations  with  the  king  are  most  agreeable  up  to  the 
present.  Two  days  after  our  arrival,  he  hastened  to  visit  us, 
accompanied  by  his  headmen  on  horseback,  and  by  numerous 
attendants  on  foot.  He  seemed  really  pleased  to  see  us,  and 
went  away  without  having  begged,  and  without  his  followers 
having  robbed  us  of  a  single  thing.  That  is  saying  not  a  little. 
After  that,  I  spent  Sunday  with  him,  and  had  good  audiences. 
I  noticed,  however,  with  pain  that  the  women,  at  the  morning 
service,  hid  themselves  behind  the  wall  of  the  lekhotJila,  and 
not  one  of  them  came  to  the  afternoon  service.  Contrary  to 
the  established  custom,  Lewanika  wanted  to  receive  me  at 
his  own  place,  instead  of  letting  me  go  to  the  Gambella's, 
the  prime  minister's.  I  must  be  the  first  to  make  use  of  his 
house.  It  is  quite  a  recent  construction,  the  work  of  Mambari 
merchants,^  and  he  is  not  a  little  proud  of  it.  The  sentiment 
is  thoroughly  shared  by  all  his  people.  Some  one  of  whom  I 
asked  the  road  said  to  me,  "  Go  straight  on,  and  upon  the 
other  side  of  these  shrubs,  even  before  you  see  the  town,  a  great 
house  will  rise  up  before  you,  and  call  your  When  Lewanika 
beamingly  introduced  me  to  this  palace,  I  said  to  him,  joking, 
that  I  was  tempted  to  take  possession  of  it  for  my  wife.  He 
responded  laughing,  with  all  the  courtliness  of  a  high-born 
gentleman,  "  That  is  but  natural  :  the  house  is  yours,  my  father." 
It  is  composed  of  three  apartments,  sixteen  or  seventeen  feet 
square,  daubed  and  plastered  by  the  hand,  with  ceilings  of 
rushes,  so  well  made  and  so  strong  that  one  could  use  them  for 
granaries.  One  of  the  rooms  has  a  pavilioned  ceiling.  The 
whole  building  is  constructed  of  stakes  and  reeds,  without  a  single 
7iail:  for  where  in  the  country  could  you  find  a  nail  ?  There  are 
'  The  half-civilisprl  nPTroes  of  the  Portuguese  coast. 


262  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

instead  forks  which  dovetail  ingeniously  into  one  another,  and 
are  held  in  place  by  withes  of  bark.  The  walls  are  fourteen  feet 
high,  with  a  little  verandah,  which  gives  the  buildings  a  some- 
what imposing  appearance.  None  of  the  Mambari  understand 
thatching,  so  the  Barotsi  had  to  do  it  in  their  own  fashion — that 
is,  the  reverse  of  ours. 

Lcwanika  would  gladly  overwhelm  us  with  apprentices, 
grown-up  men,  whom  he  would  like  to  sec  learning  in  a  couple 
of  months  or  so  to  accomplish  every  possible  handicraft  of 
the  whites.  We  have  had  to  check  so  much  zeal,  for  "  famine 
is  the  mayor  of  our  commune."  The  king  himself  tries  all  the 
tools  he  sees.  He  was  making  a  ladder  when  I  was  there  ; 
but  he  is  so  rough,  he  broke  an  auger  of  mine.  Of  course  1 
did  not  scold  him,  but  neither  did  I  thank  him. 

It  was  last  Monday  that  I  finally  succeeded  in  sending  off 
the  waggons  to  Sesheke  to  fetch  my  wife.  I  am  going  to 
follow  by  canoe  to  save  time.  It  was  not  our  original  plan. 
I  was  to  stay  here  to  prosecute  our  work  of  installation,  while 
my  dear  wife  made  the  journey  all  alone.  It  was  at  her 
suggestion  that  I  submitted  to  this  arrangement.  But  the 
journey  proved  far  more  difficult  and  laborious  than  we  then 
supposed,  and  the  season  is  so  far  advanced  that  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  sacrifice  something  and  make  a  desperate  effort. 

The  king  came  to  see  the  waggons  start,  and  give  his 
instructions  to  three  petty  chiefs  and  their  people  who  arc 
charged  to  conduct  us,  to  show  us  the  fords,  and  above  all  to 
call  together  the  Mangete  and  Matolela  to  clear  the  road 
through  the  woods.  He  brought  me  a  fine  young  ox,  which 
was  at  once  put  under  the  yoke  to  break  it  in,  and  another 
which  he  killed.  He  had  much  to  say,  and  spent  the  night 
with  us.  We  especially  discussed  the  question  of  his  capital, 
and  the  next  day  we  rode  together  to  explore  the  surrounding 
parts  of  the  Valley.  He  chose  a  place,  three  or  four  miles  from 
here,  where  he  will  install  himself  in  January  during  the  floods  ; 
and '  if  it  answers  to  his  requirements,  he  will  then  settle 
permanently  there  ;  and  this  is  almost  certain. 

Sesheke,  December  loth,  1886. 

Behold  a  grand  leap  of  three  hundred  miles  (400  kilometres) 
from  Sefula  to  Sesheke  !    But  it  took  me  some  time  to  accomplish 


i886]  AN    ELEPHANT   HUNT  263 

it.  After  having  sent  off  my  waggons,  built  my  hut  and  my 
"  kraal,"  made  my  arrangements,  and  put  the  work  in  hand,  I 
began  to  think  of  my  voyage.  "  Nothing  easier  than  to  have 
canoes,"  said  Lewanika  :  "  you  want  two  ;  I  will  give  you  four." 
But  the  days  passed  quickly,  and — no  canoes.  To  every  message 
I  received  the  same  answer,  "  To-morrow,"  and  next  day  it 
was  still  "  To-morrow,"  but  no  canoes.  I  was  on  thorns.  If  I 
had  had  two  horses,  I  should  have  set  out  and  rejoined  the 
waggons.  But  what  could  I  do  with  only  one?  At  last,  on 
November  i6th,  in  the  evening,  arrived  Luchanana,  one  of 
the  king's  favourites,  who  has  charge  of  my  person,  and  of  the 
expedition.  The  17th,  at  daybreak,  Middleton  harnessed  the 
cart,  and  brought  me  to  the  ford — ten  miles  at  least  across 
pools  and  deep  puddles.  What  was  not  our  dismay  to  find  only 
one  canoe !  The  second  we  were  to  find  on  the  way  ;  the  third 
would  follow  us  later  ;  and  the  fourth— mine — was  left  behind, 
and  we  must  go  and  fetch  it,  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  from  here. 

So  there  I  was,  on  a  little  sandy  islet,  roasting  in  the  sun, 
every  day  repeating  the  A  B  C  of  patience — a  hard  lesson 
for  such  a  scholar  as  myself.  My  voyage  is  very  queerly 
organised.  If  it  be  thus  that  our  friend  Lewanika  directs 
the  affairs  of  the  realm,  I  do  not  wonder  there  are  revolutions. 
The  boat  having  arrived — a  royal  barge,  thirteen  yards  long, 
but  so  old  and  leaky  that  we  could  hardly  keep  it  afloat — we 
started.     In  passing,  I  paid  an  interesting  visit  to  the  queen. 

Now  we  really  are  on  the  way.  But  no !  My  mentor  is  a 
passionate  devotee  of  hunting  ;  and  although  he  has  promised 
me  to  make  forced  stages  to  redeem  the  lost  time  (which  never 
is  redeemed),  he  slips  unperccived  from  the  boat,  and  disappears 
for  the  whole  day  :  he  hunts  to  his  heart's  content,  and  then 
goes  on  a  pilgrimage  to  some  tomb  to  pray  for  rain,  and  for 
the  prosperity  of  our  voyage.  He  receives  my  reprimands 
respectfully,  but  his  passion  for  hunting  prevails  over  his 
promises.  How  should  he  resist  the  temptation  of  pursuing  a 
troop  of  buffaloes  !  And  how  can  I  look  sourly  at  him,  when 
he  returns  to  camp  triumphantly  with  two  or  three  fine  ante- 
lopes ?  One  evening,  a  troop  of  elephants  came  to  drink,  quite 
close  to  our  bivouac.  Instantly,  all  fires  were  put  out ;  every 
one  was  on  the  alert.  "  Bang !  bang  !  bang !  "  A  plaintive 
cry  made  us  think  the  shots  had  told.     The  animal,  evidently 


264  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1886 

left  alone,  was  about  to  bathe.  Once  more,  firing — more  groans. 
Next  day  the  pools  of  blood  declared  we  had  not  been  mistaken. 
The  spoor  was  followed,  and  an  hour  later  the  creature  lay  on 
the  ground,  riddled  with  balls,  and  pierced  with  assegais.  Good- 
bye to  our  journey,  for  we  must  cut  up  the  monstrous  pachyderm 
— a  big  affair.  Moreover,  besides  hunting,  my  rowers  never 
pass  a  village  of  Makalaka  without  requisitions,  by  which  we 
lose  an  immensity  of  time.  They  do  not  understand  that  I  am 
in  a  hurry.  "  If  we  don't  arrive  this  month,  we  shall  arrive  the 
month  after  :  patience,  we  are  getting  along  comfortably." 

At  the  Falls  of  Ngonye,  we  had  to  leave  my  barge,  which 
threatened  every  moment  to  founder,  and  transport  the  others 
down  the  cataract.  From  the  first  moment  they  perceived  us, 
the  Makalaka  dispersed  and  hid  in  the  woods  ;  and  it  is 
incredible  what  threats,  what  abuse,  our  people  must  resort  to, 
in  order  to  bring  them  together  and  force  them  to  perform  their 
corvee.  And  that  causes  fresh  delays.  One  part  of  the  company 
goes  on  foot ;  the  other  must  wait  for  it ;  and  the  stages  are 
short.  And  then  the  river  is  at  its  lowest ;  the  navigation  of  the 
rapids  is  perilous  and  fatiguing.  We  do  not  get  on.  And  I  so 
wanted  to  arrive  on  November  28th  for  a  little  family  festival. 
Spurred  on  by  the  thought  that  every  day's  delay  threatened  to 
render  our  waggon  journey  quite  impossible,  I  sent  an  express 
to  my  wife — two  boys  with  a  little  canoe.  They  promised  me 
to  be  at  Sesheke  in  three  days.  Eight  days  later,  we  found 
them  in  a  village  at  one  day's  distance.  A  hippopotamus  had 
upset  the  canoe,  and  broken  it  to  pieces  ;  the  boys  had  barely 
escaped  with  their  lives  ;  and  my  letter  with  the  leather  case 
lay  at  the  bottom  of  the  river.  And  during  this  time,  the 
waggons  having  arrived  at  Sesheke,  my  dear  wife  and  all  our 
small  world  conceived  such  alarm,  that  they  sent  people  to 
enquire  after  me  as  far  as  Sekosi,  and  were  preparing  to  take 
other  steps. 

I  found  my  wife  a  perfect  skeleton,  but  otherwise  in  good 
health,  as  well  as  all  the  other  members  of  our  little  colony. 
No  fever  this  season  :  we  bless  God  for  it.  During  my  absence, 
the  thieves,  whom  nobody  punishes,  became  bolder  ;  they  even 
entered  by  night  the  hut  where  Aaron's  wife  and  children  were 
sleeping,  and  stole  some  clothes,  all  they  could  lay  their  hands 
upon.     On  my  return,  we  brought  the  affair  before  the  Ickhothla. 


RETURN    TO   SESHEKE  265 

The  chiefs  laughed  at  our  complaints,  and  spoke  of  a  fine 
which  we  could  demand — we  ourselves  !  But  as  we  insisted  that 
the  culprits  should  be  punished,  they  promised  to  send  and 
search  for  them,  and  the  matter  rests  there. 

You  will  rejoice,  will  you  not,  to  learn  that  LewaniKa 
proposes  to  settle  close  to  Sefula  ?  We  can,  I  think,  have  a 
fine  school  as  soon  as  we  have  a  house.  But  who  will  take 
charge  of  that  school  ?  Aaron  is  better  gifted  for  evangelisation 
than  for  teaching.  We  have  no  longer  my  niece  with  us  ;  and 
my  dear  wife,  who  is  no  longer  strong,  has  the  whole  charge  of 
a  great  household  on  her  hands.  As  for  myself,  I  must  be  a 
little  free  to  direct  the  works  and  visit  the  villages.  Wc  must 
still  lift  our  eyes  beyond  the  Everlasting  Hills,  whence  cometh 
our  help. 

Our  hearts  sink  at  the  thought  that  we  are  going  to  leave 
the  Jeanmairets  alone  with  the  Levi  family.  What  troubles  us 
so  much  is  the  difficulty  of  communications.  I  hope,  however, 
that  we  shall  be  able  to  exchange  letters  every  two  months. 
But  in  two  months  how  many  things  might  happen !  Wc 
ought  to  be  two  families  on  each  station  to  begin  with.  It  is 
a  measure  dictated  by  prudence  and  safety  ;  and  the  needs  of 
the  country  oblige  us  to  have  a  station  at  Seshcke  as  well  as 
at  the  Valley.  Our  circumstances  are  not  exactly  brilliant, 
and  I  dare  not  say  anything  as  yet  of  the  prospect  before  us. 
We  are  without  human  protection  in  this  land  of  murder  and 
rapine.  It  is  in  God  alone  that  we  must  place  all  our  confi- 
dence. He  never  leaves  us.  Oh,  how  many  times  we  too  can 
say,  "  He  strengthened  me  with  strength  in  my  soul,"  and  when 
we  are  assailed  by  swarms  of  doubts,  "  The  Lord  will  perfect 
that  which  concern eth  me  "  !  As  to  the  heathen  themselves,  we 
cannot  be  disappointed,  for  we  know  beforehand  they  have 
never  had  the  Gospel. 

Who  has  such  a  good  reason  as  the  missionary  for  believing 
in  the  communion  of  saints  and  the  power  of  prayer  ?  The 
angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that  fear  Him, 
and  delivereth  them  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  such  an  army,  we 
have  more — we  have  the  prayers  of  saints,  which  form  a  mighty 
wall  round  the  servant  of  God,  and  descend  on  him  in  a  dew 
of  blessings.  What  a  privileged  position  !  Ah,  if  we  only  had 
faith  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed — real,  daring  faith — faith  which 


266  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

believes  in  miracles !  In  theory,  it  is  certainly  there  ;  but  in 
practice,  in  the  details  of  life,  where  is  it  ?  I  am  always  under- 
standing better  how  odious  in  the  Lord's  sight  is  the  sin — I  will 
not  say  of  infidelity,  but  of  lack  of  faith  !  He  has  made  us  such 
glorious  promises  ;  He  has  never  broken  His  word.  How  then 
dare  we  doubt?  Do  you  know  a  painful  impression  I  have 
brought  away  from  Europe  ?  It  is  that  scepticism,  like  a  subtle 
poison,  has  injected  itself  into  all  the  veins  of  the  Church. 
Strong  convictions  are  rare.  People  float  about  in  uncertainty, 
and  pity  those  who  still  have  profound  and  decided  convictions, 
as  though  they  were  behind  the  times.  Thence  springs  the 
weakness  of  the  pulpit.  I  feel  urged  to  repeat  to  young  men 
the  words  of  the  Apostle,  "  Let  the  word  of  Christ  dwell  in  you 
richlyr 

Sefula,  January  i^ih,  1887. 

Sefula  is  not  precisely  an  El  Dorado  ;  neither  is  it  the  end  of 
our  difficulties — far  from  it !  But  Sefula  is  the  terminus  of  a 
three  years'  journey,  and  of  a  wandering  life  of  ten  years.  It 
was  in  1877,  indeed,  that  we  left  our  peaceful  home  in  Leribe, 
for  the  unknown  country  of  the  Banyai'.  We  little  thought 
that  this  journey,  which  was  only  to  last  some  months,  would 
end  at  the  Zambesi,  at  the  sacrifice  for  us  of  a  much-loved  work, 
and  at  the  foundation  of  a  new  mission.  Since  then,  we  have 
never  laid  down  the  pilgrim's  staff.  If  we  had  foreseen  all 
that  lay  before  us,  courage  would  probably  have  failed  us.  But 
God  in  His  great  goodness  has  led  us  step  by  step.  It  was  by 
degrees,  and,  so  to  speak,  insensibly,  that  we  arrived  at  the 
angle  of  the  road  where  our  missionary  life  took  a  new  direction. 
God  thus  condescends  to  the  weakness  of  His  children.  He 
spares  them,  while  He  is  carrying  on  their  education  ;  He  hovers 
above  their  path,  and  makes  it  easy  for  them  ;  and  they,  borne 
up  by  the  Everlasting  Arms,  "  going  from  strength  to  strength," 
are  quite  astounded,  when  they  look  back,  to  perceive  the  progress 
made  and  the  results  obtained. 

It  is  not  without  emotion  that  I  inscribe  this  date,  which 
opens  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  our  mission.  It  will  figure 
there  for  a  long  while  in  the  future,  I  am  certain  of  it,  as  our 
Jehovah-Jireh,  and  as  an  international  monument  of  faith  and 
unity.     It  is  also  our  Ebenezer  ;  in  setting  it  up,  wc  can  trul)' 


i887]  MME.   COILLARD'S   JOURNEY  267 

say,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us  "  ;  and  wc  gaze  into  the 
future  without  anxiety,  with  serene  confidence. 

Let  us,  now,  beware  of  a  spasmodic  zeal,  subject  to  the 
caprices  of  fashion  and  vanity.  For  you  who  give  and  pray, 
as  much  as  for  us  who  are  at  the  breach,  the  work  confided 
to  us  is  pre-eminently  a  work  of  patience,  of  perseverance,  and 
of  faith.  Let  us  be  ready  to  do  it  in  the  midst  of  the  most 
serious  dangers,  the  most  acute  disappointments,  and  the  most 
costly  sacrifices.  Let  nothing  turn  us  back.  The  disasters  of 
Dr.  Holub's  expedition,  the  martyrdom  of  Bishop  Hannington, 
that  of  a  Wesley  an  missionary  and  his  wife  on  the  west  coast, 
the  massacre  of  Count  Porro,  and  of  M.  and  Mme.  Barral, 
and  other  like  facts,  clearly  tell  that  not  with  impunity  can 
science,  civilisation,  and  Christianity  attack  the  Black  Continent, 
one  of  the  principal  fortresses  of  Satan.  Let  us  lay  aside  all 
timidity  and  mere  human  modesty  ;  let  us  be  bold  and  audacious. 
Adolphe  Monod  has  said,  "  Let  us  pray  as  though  we  could 
do  nothing ;  let  us  work  as  though  we  could  do  everything ! " 
The  work  is  ever  increasing  before  our  eyes,  in  extent  as  well 
as  in  difficulties.  We  feel  more  than  ever  our  weakness  and 
our  insufficiency.  But  the  immutable  promises  of  God  are  there 
in  all  their  reality,  and  without  other  limits  than  our  faith  and 
the  power  of  the  eternal  God.  The  conversion  of  the  most 
degraded  and  brutalised  souls,  and  the  transformation  of  nations 
by  the  preaching  of  the  foolishness  of  the  Cross,  are  no  longer 
miracles  which  the  most  sceptical  can  call  in  doubt  ;  they  are 
accomplished  facts,  which  history  has  many  times  set  forth 
since  the  beginning  of  our  century,  without  going  further  back. 
Therefore  let  us  expect  great  tilings.  "  If  thou  ivilt  believe,  thou 
shalt  see  the  glory  of  God." 

You  will  perhaps  remember  that  it  was  on  August  i6th  that 
I  left  Sesheke  to  make  the  first  journey  to  the  Valley  by 
waggon.  My  dear  wife  and  I  had  never  been  separated  for  so 
long  a  time  and  in  such  serious  circumstances,  and  this  widow- 
hood was  a  hard  trial.  We  have  suffered  terribly  from  the 
endless  obstacles  cast  in  our  way,  which  almost  made  all  our 
plans  miscarry  If  any  one  had  told  me  beforehand  that  we 
should  only  leave  Sesheke  finally  on  December  15  th  to  go  to 
the  Valley,  I  should  probably  have  shared  the  pessimism  of 
all   those  who  declared   the  impossibilit)-  of  such  a  journey   at 


268  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

that  season  ;  for  last  year,  at  the  same  date,  my  waggon  had 
not  been  able  to  cross  the  inundated  plains  of  the  Kasaya  and 
the  Nguesi  to  go  to  Mambova.  They  called  my  undertaking 
madness,  and  said  aloud  what  I  apprehended  secretly — namely, 
that  the  floods  would  overtake  us  on  the  way,  that  v/e  should 
not  be  able  either  to  advance  or  retreat,  and  should  be  held 
in  the  swamps  till  winter. 

Our  departure  from  Sesheke  was  most  dismal — a  dark  night 
and  pelting  rain.  For  some  days,  the  rise  of  the  Zambesi  waters 
increased  our  uneasiness.  I  will  say  nothing  of  the  parting 
from  our  dear  niece  and  her  husband,  with  the  prospect  of  a 
hundred  and  fifty  leagues'  distance  dividing  us,  and  of  a  reunion 
which  climate  and  circumstances  will  render  difficult,  if  not 
impossible.  Sesheke,  as  the  capital  of  an  immense  province, 
and  as  the  door  of  the  country,  is  a  post  which  only  yields  in 
importance  to  Lealuyi  itself  It  is  simply  absurd  that  there 
are  only  two  of  us  to  occupy  it.  We  wait  impatiently  for  the 
reinforcements  we  have  desired  of  God  and  of  yourselves.  May 
God  watch  over  Sesheke  and  His  servants  ! 

In  spite  of  the  most  sinister  predictions,  we  made  a  rapid 
and  prosperous  journey.  It  rained  a  great  deal — it  was  the 
season  for  that— but  it  was  generally  either  in  the  night,  or  on 
Sunday,  or  during  our  halts,  and  it  did  not  make  us  lose  a 
single  stage.  The  rivers  overflowed  and  gave  us  trouble  :  we 
expected  that.  At  each  we  had  to  have  our  luggage  brought 
over  in  canoes,  and  once  even  to  take  our  waggons  to  pieces, 
as  at  Kazungula  ;  but  everywhere  the  Mangete  and  Matolela 
showed  good-will  and  eagerness  to  help  us.  They  greeted  us 
joyfully  as  old  acquaintances.  Not  only  were  they  satisfied  with 
very  small  remuneration,  but  they  stole  nothing  from  us,  which 
is  saying  a  good  deal. 

We  ought  to  put  a  boat  on  each  of  these  streams.  Taking 
advantage  of  some  special  donations  given  us  for  the  purpose, 
I  have  ordered  several  ;  but  boats  are  difficult  to  find  as  long 
as  the  king  and  the  chiefs  of  the  nation  are  not  provided. 
Besides  a  dozen  men,  Lewanika  had  sent  three  petty  Matolela 
chiefs  "  to  take  care  of  my  wife,  and  bring  her  in  safety  to  the 
Valley."  They  belonged  to  the  clan  of  the  Mayela-fatse,  the 
earth-eaters,  so-called  because  they  eat  on  the  floor  instead 
of  using  the  usual  dishes.     The   king  Sepopa,  whose    personal 


i887]  MME.   COILLARD'S  ARRIVAL  269 

attendants  they  were,  used  to  feed  them  by  throwing  on  the 
ground  the  remains  of  the  royal  dishes,  or  rather  bowls.  They 
contrived  to  win  their  master's  confidence  to  such  a  point  that 
he  established  them  in  the  midst  of  the  Makiiengoa  tribe,  which 
he  was  not  sure  of.  These  little  dignitaries,  proud  of  their 
mission,  held  their  heads  high,  talked  big,  and  forced  the 
Mangete  to  give  them  abundance  of  food  and  to  carry  their 
packages.  Poor  Mangete  !  how  sorry  we  feel  for  them  !  Kalangu, 
who  is  one  of  their  principal  chiefs,  and  a  very  worthy  man, 
confided  his  troubles  to  me,  and  implored  me  to  use  my  influence 
over  the  king — for  he  thinks  I  have  influence — to  ameliorate 
their  lot.  The  chiefs  of  Sesheke  had  just  had  a  grand  hunt, 
lasting  ten  days,  in  this  neighbourhood  :  "  they  had  passed  like 
a  cloud  of  locusts,  leaving  nothing  behind  them."  "  We  do  not 
complain,"  he  said  ;  "  they  are  our  masters."  Next  came  one  of 
the  principal  officers  of  the  king's  household,  a  sekoinboa,  who, 
displeased  by  the  quantity  of  the  victuals  Kalangu  had  hastened 
to  send  him,  seized  those  who  had  brought  them  (Kalangu's  own 
son  among  the  number),  and  throttled  them  in  the  Barotsi  fashion. 
On  January  loth,  in  the  morning,  we  entered  the  rich  and 
beautiful  valley  where  the  Sefula  takes  its  rise.  You  should 
have  seen  the  sensation  produced  by  our  appearance !  People, 
great  and  small,  ran  breathlessly  from  all  parts,  women 
especially.  They  came  in  front  of  us,  and  blocked  our  way, 
the  better  to  see  the  white  lady,  a  natural  phenomenon,  which 
had  never  before  been  witnessed  in  the  country ;  and  then 
there  was  a  storm  of  hand-clapping,  a  perfect  bombardment 
of  ^^  Skangwe !  KJiosi !  hnncla  ma  rona!"  ("Your  servants, 
master  !  We  greet  you,  our  mother  !").  It  was  in  the  midst  of 
a  noisy  crowd,  which  swelled  at  every  step,  that  we  arrived  at 
the  station.  Since  then,  fresh  troops  succeed  each  other  at 
every  hour  of  every  day.  Some  people  bring  little  presents  of 
welcome,  the  products  of  their  fields,  and  all  bring  cordial 
salutations.  On  the  whole,  our  impressions  are  favourable  in 
studying  the  faces  (which  study  us  too).  We  seek  involuntarily 
among  these  people  the  "  brothers  and  sisters "  who  are  pro- 
mised us,  and  whom  the  grace  of  God  will  reveal  to  us  one  day. 
We  seek  also  to  discover  among  them  resemblances  to  those 
we  have  left,  but  always  bear  on  our  hearts,  and  we  mentally 
place  names   that  arc  dear  to  us  upon  their  heads.     We  shall 


270  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1887 

love  these  Barotsi,  not  only  as  human  beings  for  whom  Christ 
died,  but  as  sociable  fellow-creatures.  We  could  even  hope 
before  long  to  win  their  confidence  and  affection,  were  it  not 
for  the  rule  of  tyranny  and  mutual  suspicion  under  which  they 
live. 

Our  dear  friends  Middleton  and  Waddell  were  in  good 
health.  Their  life  had  been  hard  during  my  absence,  and 
it  was  not  astonishing  that  they  had  had  several  attacks  of 
fever,  though  light  ones.  It  was  with  ill-concealed  emotion 
that  they  bade  my  wife  welcome  to  Sefula.  They  had  lost  all 
hope  of  her  arriving  before  the  winter.  In  spite  of  incessant 
rains  and  great  difficulties,  they  had  succeeded  in  putting  a 
thatched  roof  over  a  cabin  of  two  rooms,  made  with  stakes 
and  reeds.  We  have  now  to  daub  it,  to  make  a  mud  floor,  and 
to  let  it  dry,  which  will  take  weeks.  Meanwhile,  the  waggon 
is  our  sleeping  apartment ;  we  take  our  meals  in  a  grass  hut, 
open  to  all  the  winds,  and  infested  in  the  evening  with 
mosquitoes  and  every  sort  of  insect  pest,  making  all  work  and 
even  reading  impossible.  The  forest  where  we  are  building, 
which  I  had  left  quite  black,  charred  with  the  fire,  has  become 
a  thicket  of  brushwood,  which  is  still  growing  vigorously.  One 
can  hardly  distinguish  the  roof  of  the  cottage  at  fifty  paces,  in 
the  midst  of  this  undergrowth.  It  was  stifling.  I  wondered  that 
our  helpers  could  live  there  during  two  months.  These  thick 
bushes,  where  a  little  black  snake  abounds  (said  to  be  very 
dangerous),  are  at  the  same  time  haunted  by  the  hyaena  and 
the  panther.  They  have  made  frequent  incursions  into  the 
camp  by  night ;  and  we  had  to  organise  a  regular  hunt  after 
them.  You  ought  to  have  seen  the  delight  of  Nguana-Ngombe, 
and  of  my  other  boys,  when  they  related  to  me  how  they  had 
killed  two  of  these  monsters  at  a  few  paces  from  our  doors. 

Alas  !  in  a  neighbouring  village,  a  young  slave,  who  was 
dying  of  hunger,  had  stolen  a  few  stalks  of  maize  in  the  night. 
She  was  roasting  them  by  the  fires  of  our  sleeping  shepherds, 
and  devouring  them  noiselessly,  when  all  at  once  a  hyaena 
sprang  upon  her,  and  carried  her  off  into  the  woods.  The  next 
day,  nothing  was  found  of  her  but  some  fragments  of  flesh 
and  scattered  bones.  Consequently,  we  must  fortify  ourselves 
with  good  palisades,  and  clear  away  the  brushwood— a  consider- 
able work.     Will  you  believe  that  it  costs  me  a  pang  to  uproot 


i8S7]  THE   king's   TRIBUTE  2/1 

even  one  of  these  trees  ? — for  in  Basiito-land  I  planted  trees  during 
twenty  years,  hoping  to  bury  myself  in  them  as  in  a  forest. 

No  more  famine  now ;  there  is  abundance  of  food  since 
harvest.  Our  young  men  can  always  be  nibbling  some  stalks 
of  green  maize,  which  people  passing  by  give  them.  We  can 
provide  ourselves  chiefly  with  field  purslane,  pumpkins,  young 
gourds,  etc.  Only  it  runs  away  with  calico.  A  piece  is  no 
sooner  begun  than  we  tremble  to  see  it  finished.  Whatever  one 
may  think,  the  system  of  barter  is  not  economical.  The  cost 
of  transport  is  considerable.  Our  small  change  is  pocket- 
handkerchiefs,  and  above  all  sctsibas.  One  can  scarcely  buy 
anything  or  obtain  the  smallest  service  without  the  setsiba. 
It  is  an  obligatory  present  with  what  I  may  call  the  bourgeoisie 
of  the  country :  the  aristocracy  is  naturally  more  exacting. 
You  can  understand  that  we  consume  a  considerable  quantity 
of  calico,  and  that,  in  spite  of  our  calculations,  we  often  run 
short.  The  age  of  money,  which  Lewanika  invokes  with  all  his 
vows,  though  without  understanding  it,  has  not  yet  dawned  for  us. 

Just  now,  one  sees  in  every  direction  long  strings  of  people 
laden  with  burdens.  As  in  the  time  of  Solomon,  it  is  the  king's 
tribute  :  honey,  pelts,  wild  fruits,  fishing  tackle,  mats,  etc. — the 
produce  of  the  fields,  of  the  chase,  and  of  industry.  The  queen 
has  her  tribute  like  the  king.  The  whole,  brought  to  the 
IckJiothla  with  great  ceremony,  is  divided  among  the  chiefs  of 
the  nation.^  This  gives  Lewanika  plenty  of  occupation  and 
preoccupation,  for  he  has  to  deal  tactfully  with  jealousies  and 
rivalries,  as  well  as  with  the  rapacity  of  those  persons  who 
make  and  unmake  kings,  according  to  their  own  caprices. 

Saturday,  January  22nd. 

On  Thursday  morning,  the  drum  and  the  serimba  announced 
from  afar  the  arrival  of  the  king.  Such  was  the  panic,  that 
the  people  who  had  come  to  work,  to  sell,  or  to  visit  had  almost 
all  disappeared  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  Notwithstanding 
this,  soon  afterwards  there  was  a  crowd,  and  one  which  renewed 
itself  every  instant,  to  do  homage  to  the  .sovereign.  The 
coming  and  going,  the  bivouacs,  the  fires,  the  animated  con- 
versations, the  games  full  of  originality — and  the  royal  music 

'  The  king's  own  portion  is  carried  at  nigiit  to  his  cstabhshnicnt :  nobody 
but  the  confidential  officer  in  charge  must  see  it. 


272  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

which  by  day  makes  one  dizzy,  and  at  night  ruthlessly  drives 
away  sleep  along  with  the  evil  spirits — all  that  confusion,  uproar, 
and  mob,  while  they  do  not  lack  interest,  did  not  spare  us 
fatigues  of  more  kinds  than  one.  And  now  that  the  royal  party 
has  gone  back  towards  the  capital,  it  is  a  comfort  to  find 
ourselves  peacefully  alone. 

Lewanika  came  to  pay  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  Mme.  Coil- 
lard,  and  he  thought  no  doubt  that  it  was  the  correct  thing 
to  surround  himself  with  court  ceremonial.  Poor  man  !  he  is 
not  free  from  cares,  and  he  needs  a  friend  to  whom  he  can 
freely  confide  them,  and  on  whom  he  can  lean.  He  is  suspicious 
of  everybody,  even  of  those  who  have  brought  him  to  power, 
and  unfortunately  he  does  not  conceal  it.  Thus  he  has  con- 
firmed the  vague  apprehensions  which  haunted  us — namely,  that 
there  exists  among  the  chiefs  a  party  hostile  to  strangers,  which 
sees  our  presence  in  the  country  with  an  evil  eye.  May  we 
have  the  wisdom  which  comes  from  above,  so  that,  whether  at 
Sesheke  or  Sefula,  we  may  know  how  to  conquer  and  to 
maintain  our  position,  and  even  to  gain  influence  ! 

Gloomy  and  careworn  in  private,  Lewanika  in  public  is 
chatty  and  gay.  He  had  brought  with  him  not  only  his  detest- 
able band  of  music,  but  also  his  clowns.  One  of  them,  dressed 
in  a  hyaena  skin,  imitated  so  perfectly  the  cries,  the  laughter, 
and  the  gait  of  this  wild  beast,  that  the  very  dogs  were  taken 
in,  and  rushed  out  at  him.^  Plays  of  this  kind  are  very  popular 
here,  and  the  actors  are  always  sure  of  their  fees  ;  moreover, 
they  never  give  up  their  role,  even  though  it  should  knock  them 
up  for  days  afterwards.  The  Zambesians  do  not  know  how 
to  speak  in  public,  nor  to  treat  business  with  the  decorum 
of  the  Basuto  :  they  like  jocularity  ;  no  one  is  safe  from  the 
keen  shafts  of  their  mockery  and  ridicule.  One  can  scarcely 
imagine  that  people  of  so  playful  a  nature  can  be  so  cruel. 
Alas !  we  cannot  take  even  a  few  steps  without  striking  our 
feet    against    a    broken    skull,    or    some    burnt    human    bones. 

^  It  seems  that  some  tribes,  who  beheve  in  the  transmigration  of  souls, 
decide  during  their  lifetime  what  animal  form  they  will  adopt  after  death. 
The  medicine-man  undertakes  that  their  wishes  shall  be  carried  out,  and  on 
every  possible  occasion,  especially  new  moons,  funerals,  and  public  festivals, 
ihey practise  in  their  future  character  of  lion,  crocodile,  jackal,  etc. 


i887]  A   LETTER  273 

Lewanika  showed  us  the  remains  of  the  fuel  which,  quite 
recently,  ten  paces  from  here,  had  been  used  to  burn  the  sorcerers. 
Yes,  "  the  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations 
of  cruelty"  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  20). 


A    Letter    to    the    Committee    of    the    Society    des 
Missions  Evangeliques  de  Paris. 

Sefula,  Upper  Zambesi,  June  \st,  1887. 

Gentlemen  and  honoured  Brethren,— The  missionary 
expedition  which  you  did  me  the  honour  of  confiding  to  me 
has  now  fulfilled  its  purpose.  After  the  vicissitudes  known 
to  you,  it  has  crossed  the  Zambesi,  and  installed  some  of  its 
members  at  Scsheke,  while  the  others  have  at  last  attained  its 
final  destination,  the  Barotsi  Valley,  three  years  after  leaving 
Basuto-land.  It  is  to  God,  first  of  all,  that  Mme.  Coillard 
and  myself  give  thanks,  for  having  caused  an  enterprise  to 
prosper  which  we  had  at  heart,  but  which  we  knew  bristled 
with  difficulties,  and  for  which  we  felt  ourselves  little  qualified. 
But  we  feel  urged  to  express  our  very  sincere  gratitude  to  you 
also,  gentlemen,  to  our  revered  president,  and  our  dear  director. 
We  know  that,  besides  your  confidence,  you  have  given  us  your 
affection.  You  have  borne  us  up  in  your  prayers  ;  you  have 
watched  over  us  ;  and  in  the  midst  of  our  difficulties  and  our 
isolation,  your  words  have  ever  been  able  to  reach  us,  to 
reanimate  our  courage  and  strengthen  our  faith.  You  have 
worked  side  by  side  with  us  when  the  stream  was  pushing  you 
in  another  direction.  Moreover,  while  we  look  up  to  you  as 
the  representatives  of  our  Churches  and  our  directors,  we  may 
also  recognise  in  each  of  you  a  friend  and  colleague. 

You  will  surely  have  seen  the  hand  of  God  which  has  led 
us  so  marvellously  during  our  long  pilgrimages,  and  you 
will  have  seen  His  holy  will  writ  large  in  the  success  He  has 
granted  us. 

Therefore  it  is  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  and  with  the 
greatest  confidence,  that  I  point  out  the  Zambesian  countries 
as  a  new  field  of  work  for  the  French-speaking  Churches,  and 
lay  their  interests  on  your  hearts.     Do  adopt   this    new   work, 

\^ 


274  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1*87 

with  the  increase  of  responsibility,  but  also  of  blessings  which 
it  may  bring  you. 

You  have  already  anticipated  me  by  sending  us  reinforce- 
ments. Blessed  be  they  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  !  I  will  take 
my  place  among  these  young  labourers,  pars  inter  pares.  I  do 
not  ignore  the  fact  that  there  are  many  problems  to  resolve, 
many  difficulties  to  conquer,  many  sacrifices  to  be  made  and 
dangers  to  be  faced  ;  but  such  a  noble  task  is  not  beyond  you, 
since  God  confides  it  to  you.  Therefore  accept  this  work  of 
the  Barotsi  Valley  unreservedly,  and  watch  tenderly  over  it,  as 
over  a  newborn  babe.  And  may  it  be  an  immense  blessing  to 
the  tribes  of  Central  Africa,  and  to  the  Christians  themselves 
who  support  it !  Such  is  the  ardent  prayer  of  yours  truly  in 
the  Lord, 

F.   COILLARD. 


PART    III 

A  7     S  E  F  U  LA 
1887— 1892 

BATTLE  SONG  OF  GUSTAVUS  ADOLPHUS. 

Fear  not,  O  little  Hock,  the  foe 
Who  madly  seeks  your  overthrow; 

Dread  not  his  rage  and  power; 
What  though  your  courage  sometimes  faints, 
His  seeming  triumph  o'er  God's  saints 

Lasts  but  a  little  hour. 

As  true  as  God's  own  word  is  true, 
Nor  earth  nor  hell  with  all  their  crew 

Against  us  shall  prevail. 
A  jest  and  byword  are  they  grown  : 
God  is  with  us;   we  are  His  own; 

Our  victory  cannot  fail. 

C.    WiNKWORTU— /"ao;»  the  Girman. 


875 


AT    SEFULA 

January  1887  to  October  1892 
CHRONICLE 

Jan.  i2th,  1887 Arrival  of  M.  and  Mme.  Coillard  at  Sefula. 

March  4th         School  established  at  Sefula. 

Aug.  20th  Arrival   of  M.   and   Mme.    Louis  Jalla  from   the  Waldensian 

Valleys,  and  of  Dr.  Dardier  and  M.  Goy  from  Switzerland 

— First  Missionary  Conference  (at  Kazungula). 

Feb.  23rd,  1888 Death  of  Dr.  Dardier. 

Oct King  Lewanika  proposes  to  place  Barotsi-land  under  British 

protection — Proposal  negatived  by  chiefs. 

Dec.  ist Departure  of  catechists  Aaron  and  Levi, 

June  1889 Mr.  Ware  obtains  from  Lewanika  a  large  concession  for  a  British 

mining  company. 

Aug Second  Missionary  Conference  (at  Sesheke). 

Sept Arrival   of  M.   Adolphe  Jalla  at  Sefula  from  the   Waldensian 

Valleys. 
Oct.  31st  Establishment  of  a  station  at  Kazungula  under  M.  and  Mme. 

Louis  Jalla. 
April  (end)  1890 Arrival  of  Mr.  Lochner,  the  agent  of  the  B.  S.  A.  Co.,  to  treat 

with  Lewanika. 

May  25th  Baptism  of  Nguana-Ngomb6  (Andreas). 

June  27th  Lewanika  signs  a  treaty  with  the  B.  S.  A.  Co.,  granting  mining 

concessions   in   return   for  protection    over   the   whole  of 

Barotsi-land. 

June       Departure  of  the  Jeanmairets. 

July         Arrival  of  Mile.  Kiener  from  Switzerland — M.  and  Mme.  Goy 

placed  in  charge  of  Sesheke. 

Oct.  8th,  1891 Arrival  of  catechist  Paulus  Kanedi. 

March  1891 — ^June  1892     M.  A.  Jalla's  journey  to  Europe. 

Oct.  28th,  1891 Death  of  Mme.  Coillard. 

Sept.  5th,  1892 Return  of  M.  A.  Jalla  with  Mme.  Jalla. 

Oct.  28th  i8q2 M.  Coillard  removes  his  headquarters  to  Lealuyi. 


276 


CHAPTER    XVII 

Beginnings  of  the  Work  at  Sefula — A  Council  at  Lealuyi — The  Barotsi's  View 
of  Missions^The  Execution  of  a  Sorcerer — The  Marriage  Question — 
Poison  V.  Bloodshed — The  House  built — School  established — Difficulties 
of  Discipline — Trial  by  Ordeal — "  Thou  shalt  not  kill  " — The  Missionary's 
Daily  Life — Industrial  Skill  of  the  Barotsi— Their  Character — Arrival  of 
Reinforcements — Plots  and  Counterplots — MM.  Dardier  and  Goy — An 
Equestrian  Adventure — A  Tragedy. 

Sefula,  February  ist,  1887. 

WE  have  been  three  weeks  at  Sefula.  It  is  a  pause,  but 
no  repose.  My  dear  wife  is  utterly  worn  out  with 
fatigue.  It  cost  us  a  good  deal  to  set  off  on  wheels  again 
so  soon  to  visit  Lealuyi,  the  capital,  nineteen  miles  from  here. 
But  we  had  promised  to  do  it ;  so  on  Monday,  very  early, 
we  started.  Kamburu  was  our  official  conductor.  Nguana- 
Ngombe,  in  short  breeches,  with  my  old  felt  hat  on  his  head 
paddled  along  through  the  puddles,  and  frightened  the  birds 
with  the  report  of  his  gun  ;  he  was  aspiring  to  be  a  hunter. 
From  the  hamlets  lining  the  Valley,  the  people  came  running, 
as  much  to  see  the  house  on  wheels  as  to  greet  us.  Troops 
of  men,  returning  from  the  capital,  kept  crossing  the  path  of 
other  parties,  who  were  betaking  themselves  thither,  laden  with 
bundles  and  baskets  of  cornstuffs  for  their  masters.  The 
waggon  was  empty  ;  the  plain,  and  the  pools  of  water  studding 
it,  presented  no  difficulties  whatever ;  the  weather  was  superb  ; 
so  we  could  enjoy  this  little  journey  as  a  holiday.  The  king 
was  expecting  our  visit ;  but  we  were  none  the  less  obliged  to 
send  Narumango  to  announce  us,  conformably  with  etiquette. 
Long  before  he  had  come  back,  a  turbulent  crowd  had  rushed 
to  meet  us,  flung  itself  upon  the  waggon  at  the  risk  of  being 
crushed,  taken  it  by  storm,  and,  in  spite  of  us,  invaded  it  on 
all  sides.  It  was  thus  escorted,  and  harassed  by  this  ever- 
growing mob,  that  we  drew  up  oxi  the  public  square.     Here  we 


278  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  L'887 

must  needs  wait  for  his  Majesty.     It  was  not  pleasant ;  the  sun 
was  scorching. 

Here  comes  my  messenger  at  last,  with  a  sekomboa  from 
the  king  :  one  of  his  chamberlains  we  should  say.  "  The  king 
is  still  seeking  a  house  for  you,  and  begs  you  to  wait."  Before 
long,  another  message  :  "  I  am  commanded  to  conduct  you  to 
your  lodging,  a  few  steps  from  here."  It  is  a  dilapidated  hovel, 
almost  unapproachable  for  filth.  When  will  these  Barotsi,  these 
lords  who  are  so  exacting  when  we  receive  them,  understand 
the  rudiments  of  hospitality  ?  I  feel  provoked  :  but  what  is  the 
use  ?  The  best  thing  to  do  is  to  take  a  spade,  and  with  my  boys 
set  to  work  and  clear  it  up.  Thereupon  arrives  the  king,  accom- 
panied by  his  councillor,  to  wish  us  welcome.  "  What !  "  said  he, 
with  some  embarrassment,  "  they  have  put  you  in  a  wretched 
place."  "  That's  all  right,"  I  said  to  myself ;  "  the  lesson  has  not 
been  thrown  away."  A  little  later,  I  was  obliged  to  yield  to  his 
importunities  :  our  waggon  was  dragged,  almost  carried,  by  all 
the  men  of  the  village,  chiefs  and  serfs,  close  up  to  a  grand  royal 
hut,  surrounded  by  a  wide  courtyard,  and  situated  in  the  shade 
of  a  thicket. 

This  little  grove  is  a  sacred  place,  carefully  surrounded 
with  mats.  It  is  composed  of  nwtJiata,  indiarubber  trees, 
euphorbias,  bananas,^  some  climbing  plants,  etc.  ;  an  infinite 
number  of  gazelles'  horns  are  to  be  found  there,  filled  with 
mysterious  specifics  and  charms  of  every  sort  ;  a  cord,  stretched 
like  our  telegraph  wires,  seems  to  be  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  out  evil  spirits  and  spells  into  the  open  veldt.  It  is 
Lewanika's  sanctuary ;  it  is  thither  that  he  repairs  regularly,  to 
hold  communion  with  the  gods. 

Poor  Lewanika !  in  his  pillow  thorns  are  thicker  than 
feathers.     His  projected  expedition  against  the  Mashukulumboe 

'  In  the  Barotsi  Valley,  the  bananas  were  planted  only  for  "  medicine." 
They  had  been  introdnced  by  a  sorcerer  from  the  West  Coast,  and  the  king 
alone  had  the  right  to  plant  them  and  sit  under  them.  One  day,  M.  Coillard 
asked  the  king  for  some  of  the  fruit  of  the  banana  in  whose  shade  he  was 
sitting.  "  What  do  you  want  it  for  ?  "  asked  Lewanika.  "  To  eat,  of  course.' 
"Why,  is  it  good  to  eat?"  M.  Coillard  recommended  him  to  try;  the 
immediate  result  being  that  bananas  were  classed,  with  honey  and  some  other 
natural  products,  among  the  dainties  only  royalty  might  enjoy.  Tiiere  are  no 
other  fruit  trees  in  the  Barotsi  Valley. 


t887]  BONTSU   BOO  279 

meets  with  opposition,  and  opposition  irritates  him.  He  was 
greatly  agitated  ;  he  paced  up  and  down,  and  ended  by  staying 
at  tiie  waggon  till  a  very  late  hour.  From  time  to  time,  he 
would  address  to  me  some  commonplace  in  Sesuto  ;  next,  with 
surprising  volubility,  pour  forth  torrents  of  Serotsi ;  then,  all  at 
once,  burst  out  with  something  in  Sesuto  again,  with  great  peals 
of  laughter,  which  were  greeted  by  incessant  hand-clappings 
from  his  favourite  servitors,  kneeling  before  him.  "  Well, 
Moruti,"  he  exclaimed,  turning  towards  me,  "  it's  all  up  with 
my  expedition  ;  you  disapprove  of  it,  and  my  people  won't 
have  it.  .  .  .  Ah  !  "  he  added  bitterly,  clicking  his  tongue  and 
sighing  deeply,  "everything  is  difficult  with  these  people.  If 
I  speak  of  a  field  to  be  tilled,  ba  nya^tda — they  grumble  ;  of 
a  house  to  be  built — ba  nyanda  ;  of  a  hunting  expedition 
— ba  nyaiida.  Ba  nyanda  tsotle.  Ba  nyaftda  ka  metla.  Ba 
nyanda  kaofela,  bontsii  boo  t"^  They  always  grumble,  they  all 
grumble,  they  grumble  at  everything !  That  black  rabble  ! " 
I  felt  really  sorry  for  him. 

Next  morning,  from  seven  o'clock  on,  the  drums,  serimbas, 
and  an  uproar  of  salutations  announced  that  the  king  was 
sitting  in  the  forum — the  lekJiotJda  ;  so  there  we  betook  ourselves. 
K  pit  so  had  been  called  together  in  our  honour  ;  it  was  crowded. 
At  the  request  of  Lewanika,  I  opened  the  proceedings  with  a 
speech,  in  which  I  was  at  pains  to  set  forth  the  character  of 
our  mission,  and  the  benefits  of  the  Gospel  to  a  nation.  I 
expected  the  king  would  speak  in  his  turn.  What  was  our 
stupefaction  to  see  the  Gambclla  (the  prime  minister)  rise  next, 
and  begin  thus :  "  Barotsi,  you  see  the  Baruti  before  you  ; 
you  have  heard  them.  If  you  do  not  wish  for  them,  fear  not 
to  say  so,  and  they  will  return  to  their  own  home.  Speak 
freely  ;  now  is  your  opportunity.  Do  not  say  that  the  king 
imposes  on  you  a  thing  you  dislike.     Speak  ! " 

The  silence  only  lasted  a  few  minutes  ;  but  these  minutes 
seemed  hours  to  me.  Could  it  be  that  we  had  fallen  into  a 
trap  ?  Why  should  our  very  acceptance  be  called  in  question  ? 
And  how  if  they  were  going  to  declare  publicly  that  they  would 
none  of  us  ? 

'  Bofitsu  boo  =  "  that  black  thing  "  :  a  term  of  contempt  used  by  the  Barotsi 
in  speaking  of  the  populace — the  canaille.  "  Those  blackamoors "  would 
perhaps  be  the  nearest  equivalent. 


28o  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

Happily,  we  had  not  to  wait  long.  The  first  orator  was 
indignant,  that  there  should  be  any  doubt  of  the  friendly 
disposition  of  the  tribe.  "  Gambella,"  said  he,  "your  insinuations 
are  an  insult  to  us  and  to  the  king.  When  did  he  ever  bestow 
anything  bad  upon  us  ?  If  he  sent  for  a  Moruti,  was  it  not 
because  he  knew  it  was  a  good  thing  ?  Do  we  not  hear  it  said 
that  all  the  black  nations  have  their  missionaries,  to  teach  the 
young,  and  those  who  govern,  the  wisdom  of  the  white  men  ? 
And  would  you  wish  us  Barotsi  to  stay  in  a  dark  hole  ?  You 
cannot  think  it.  Rather  let  us  thank  Robosi  for  having  brought 
us  light.  Na  ke  ithumetse  Morena  "  ("  As  for  me,  I  approve  the 
king's  deed"). 

The  keynote  had  been  struck ;  several  spoke  in  similar 
terms  ;  and  we  were  beginning  to  breathe  more  freely,  when 
a  little  bit  of  a  man,  pitted  with  small-pox,  cried,  "  What !  you 
speak  like  this,  Barotsi ;  what  cowards  and  liars  you  are !  No, 
you  do  not  like  these  foreigners,  you  do  not  like  to  see  them 
in  your  country ;  you  fear  them  ;  but  you  have  not  courage  to 
tell  the  king  so  to  his  face.  Well  then,  I  will  speak  myself 
These  foreigners  bring  the  curse  with  them.  Is  it  not  they  who 
made  the  sun  to  rot  ?  "  (the  total  eclipse) — "  and  who  distress 
us  with  drought  ?  Cease  your  lies  and  flatteries  ;  speak  out, 
and  declare  you  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  these  whites  ; 
and  without  hesitation,  send  them  back  whence  they  came." 

"  No,"  replied  another,  "  we  will  not  drive  away  the  mis- 
sionaries ;  they  bring  the  Leiigoalo "  (Scriptures,  a  corruption 
of  the  classical  Sesuto  Lingolo,  literally  writings  or  instruction), 
"  and  wisdom,  peace,  and  prosperity.  I  understand  myself  that 
we  shall  have  a  mine  of  stuffs  and  of  waggons  :  but  how  shall 
we  draw  them,  since  we  have  no  oxen,  and  the  Moruti  dis- 
approves of  our  expedition  against  the  Mashukulumboe?" 

"  That's  just  it,"  interrupted  a  new  orator :  "  learning  is  a 
thing  that  is  only  fit  for  women  and  children  "  {jitJio  ea  vialapd)  ; 
"cattle  is  the  business  of  men  and  of  the  lekhothla.  So  let  us 
leave  Litia"  (Lewanika's  heir)  "and  the  boys  of  his  age  with 
the  Momti ;  and  as  for  ourselves,  let  us  go  and  get  cattle ; 
our  families  are  starving." 

"  You  understand  nothing  about  it,"  spoke  Liomba,  a  wise 
man,  who  has  seen  the  world,  during  a  stay  he  made  at 
Mangwato.     "  Our  expedition  against  the  Mashukulumboe  has 


iSi^7J  BAROTSI   ORATORY  28 1 

nothing  to  do  with  the  question  of  the  missionaries.  The 
Baruti  are  the  fathers  of  the  nation.  I  saw  that  well  enough 
at  Mangwato.  Every  day  in  the  lekhothla  the  great  chief 
Khama  was  stitching  furs.  '  It  is  for  my  missionary  and 
friend/  he  told  us,  '  M.  Coillard,  who  has  gone  to  the  Zambesi.' 
Khama  is  a  Christian,  and  so  are  all  his  people.  (You  don't 
believe  that,  do  you  ?)  They  are  all  dressed  European  fashion  ; 
they  all  have  breech-loading  guns  and  rifled  cannon.  They 
don't  marry  there  in  the  same  way  as  here.  But  just  wait. 
When  our  son  Litia  takes  a  wife,  it  shall  be  a  great  national 
festival.  We  will  bring  them  to  the  Moruti,  both  arrayed  in 
magnificent  garments  ;  and  the  Moruti  will  have  all  sorts  of 
good  things  promised  them,  and  will  give  them  fatherly 
counsels.  Then  many  oxen  will  be  slaughtered,  and  every  one 
will  rejoice.  Let  us  greet  the  Baruti  not  as  foreigners,  but  as 
Barotsi  and  as  benefactors.  Let  us  help  them,  let  us  give  them 
our  children,  but  let  us  begin  by  listening  ourselves  to  their 
teaching.     It  is  to  us,  chiefs,  that  all  our  tribes  look." 

I  replied  to  this  speech  by  a  closing  address.  In  conclusion, 
I  related  certain  incidents  of  the  journey,  which  raised  a  laugh 
at  the  expense  of  the  rain-makers,  and  of  those  who  made  us 
responsible  for  the  drought  and  the  eclipse  of  the  sun.  They 
laughed,  it  is  true  ;  but  we  do  not  disguise  the  situation  to 
ourselves.  An  element  of  latent  opposition  has  come  to  light, 
with  which  we  may  one  day  find  ourselves  in  conflict.  But 
to  foresee  the  struggle  and  prepare  for  it  is  not  to  be  dis- 
couraged. 

I  have  tried  to  give  the  complexion  of  'Ccv\s  pitso  as  faithfully 
as  possible.  It  is  interesting  and  instructive  from  more  than 
one  point  of  view.  In  three  hours,  twenty  orators  had  spoken  : 
that  will  tell  you  that  they  are  brief  at  the  Zambesi.  The 
forum  of  the  Basuto  does  not  exist  here  ;  the  Zambesians,  who 
crawl  before  their  tyrants,  have  neither  public  life  nor  political 
initiative.  The  parliamentary  notions  which,  among  the 
Basuto,  form,  or  rather  have  formed,  orators  and  personalities 
are  unknown  here.  We  are  not  among  those  who  think  a 
more  liberal  government  would  satisfy  this  nation,  which  is 
not  prepared  for  such  progress.  What  it  wants  is  a  strong  and 
benevolent  government  of  such  a  kind  that  the  Gospel  can 
develop  the  people  and  prepare   them  for  a  better  life.     And 


282  ON   THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1887 

the  existing  government,  despotic  but  feeble,  is  scarcely  worthy 
of  the  name. 

The  four  or  five  days  which  we  passed  at  the  capital  were 
well  filled.  As  Mokvvae,  the  queen,  and  several  chiefs  from 
outside  had  come  for  the  occasion,  the  town  overflowed  with 
people.  But  how  keep  order  when  hundreds  of  famished 
slaves  are  there,  and  have  nothing  to  eat  but  what  they  can 
pick  up  ?  This  is  how  it  was  done.  Every  evening,  as  dark- 
ness fell,  the  public  crier  was  to  be  heard,  "  Ho !  ho  !  Barotsi 
with  yellow  hearts  "  (J.e.  full  of  covetousness)  ;  "  hearken  !  You 
have  yellow  hearts  ;  but  know  that  any  one  who  approaches  the 
Bcn-utis  waggon  at  night  will  be  fired  upon.  And  if  any  one 
should  steal  the  smallest  thing,  I  will  put  him  to  death.  I  have 
sworn  it.  So  be  warned,  O  yellow-hearted  Barotsi  ! "  But 
make  your  minds  quite  easy  ;  no  one  was  fired  upon,  and  no 
one  was  put  to  death,  in  spite  of  one  or  two  alarms,  which  threw 
the  whole  village  into  the  greatest  possible  excitement. 

February  loth,  1887. 

Never  before  have  we  felt  as  In  these  last  days  that  we  are  in 
the  midst  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Prince  of  Darkness.  Lewanika 
has  a  child  of  nine  years  old,  born  epileptic.  They  believe  him 
to  be  bewitched.  He  had  several  attacks  while  we  were  there. 
Also  among  the  chiefs,  during  the  last  few  months,  there  were 
several  inexplicable  deaths.  The  very  morning  of  our  departure 
from  Lealuyi,  the  sudden  death  of  a  chamberlain  was  announced, 
who  the  evening  before,  in  perfect  health,  had  acted  as  our 
cicerone  round  the  village  and  the  king's  harem.  They  kept 
the  news  secret  till  after  our  departure.  Then  there  was  an 
outcry  of  witchcraft ;  they  designated  aloud  another  sekomboa, 
Moeya-nyana,  a  pleasant,  intelligent  fellow,  still  young  and  much 
beloved  by  the  king.  There  was  a  tumultuous  assemblage  at 
the  kkJiotJila ;  a  pot  was  set  on  the  fire,  and  one  of  the  slaves 
of  the  accused,  by  proxy,  plunged  his  hands  into  the  boiling 
water.  The  effects  did  not  take  long  to  declare  themselves. 
Therefore  Moeya-nyana  must  be  a  sorcerer.  Who  could  close 
his  eyes  to  the  evidence?  Who  could  continue  to  doubt  it 
after  this  "judgment  of  God,"  which  our  forefathers  practised 
in  the  same  way  during  the  Middle  Ages?  Immediately  those 
present  seized  the  poor  wretch,  bound  him  strongly  with  cords. 


1887]  EXECUTION   OF   MOEYA-NYANA  283 

extorted  pretended  confessions  from  him  by  means  of  all  sorts 
of  indignities,  and  led  him  to  execution.  He  passed  the  night 
bound  to  a  post.  The  next  morning — a  fine  Sunday — the 
scaffold,  a  rough  rack  four  feet  high,  was  quickly  set  up  ;  the 
fire  lighted  ;  the  moati — a  violent  poison — prepared  and  adminis- 
tered ;  and  the  unfortunate  chief  soon  struggled  with  death 
in  the  midst  of  the  insults  and  curses  of  the  excited  crowd. 
The  king  had  forbidden  them  to  burn  his  favourite  attendant. 
So  they  dragged  him  away,  and  threw  him  into  an  adjacent 
pool.  During  the  night,  the  victim  thus  executed  came  to 
himself.  In  vain  Lewanika  endeavoured  to  save  his  life.  Those 
who  were  to  take  him  back  to  his  own  people  at  Scsheke 
murdered  him  close  by  here,  in  the  most  revolting  manner.' 
Alas !  it  is  not  an  isolated  case.  One's  heart  bleeds  at  the  mere 
hearing  of  such  horrors.  They  assume  an  appalling  reality 
when  they  arc  committed,  so  to  speak,  under  one's  own  eyes, 
and  when  one  has  personally  known  the  victims. 

February  iZth. 

Our  Sundays  are  growing  interesting.  Our  neighbours 
begin  to  count  the  days  of  the  week,  and  to  remember  the 
Lord's  Day,  "  the  tsipi"  i.e.  the  bell  (although  we  have  no  bell), 
or  else  "  the  day  one  dies."  ^  Yesterday  we  had  one  hundred 
and  fifty  auditors.  The  great  attraction  is  our  little  harmonium. 
But  how  difficult  it  is  in  the  open  air  to  hold  these  restless 
spirits  captive  !  It  may  be  the  wind,  or  the  sun,  or  the  rain. 
It  may  be  a  bird  flying  past,  a  fowl  cackling,  or  dogs  barking 
and  fighting.  They  greet  each  other,  too  ;  they  chat,  laugh,  take 
snuff,  come  and  go.  One  must  gently  repress  these  liberties, 
and  maintain  order  ;  but  it  is  scarcely  inspiring.  It  would  be 
enough  to  sweep  the  whole  sermon  out  of  one's  head,  supposing 
one  had  written  it.  However,  it  sometimes  happens  that  these 
poor  people  do  listen.  Yesterday  I  was  telling  the  story  of 
the  Deluge  ;  they  understood  me  ;  their  attention  was  riveted. 
And  when,  after  having  spoken  of  that  deluge  of  fire  predicted 
by  St.  Peter,  I  appealed  to  my  audience,  and  cried,  "  Whither 

'  The  Barotsi  always  cut  open  the  body  of  a  murdered  man  to  let 
tlie  spirit  out,  fearing,  if  it  be  left  in,  that  it  may  haunt  and  injure  the 
murderers. 

*  In  allusion  to  the  solemn  attitude  taken  in  prayer. 


284  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

will  you  flee  then  from  the  wrath  of  God  ?  "  "  To  thee,  O  Moruti, 
our  father,"  repHed  several  voices  at  once.  "  And  why  should 
we  flee  ?  "  asked  an  old  man  seriously  ;  "  we  are  not  sorcerers."  ^ 
Oh,  how  long  we  have  to  wait  to  see  one  soul  open  to  the 
beams  of  grace  !  Nguana-Ngombe  sometimes  gives  us  hope. 
I  have  several  times  surprised  the  dear  boy  hidden  in  the 
bushes  and  praying  aloud.  Will  not  God,  Whom  he  is  thus 
groping  after,  hear  him  ? 

As  for  Kamburu,  he  seems  under  a  spell.  Did  he  not  an- 
nounce to  me  last  night  that  he  was  married  !  "  Married  !  Since 
when?  To  whom?  Impossible!"  "Oh  yes,  I  am  married," 
replied  my  boy,  with  his  pleasant  smile  and  his  face  all  lighted 
up.  "  And  that's  how  they  do  things  with  you  ?  "  "  Yes,  my 
father."  In  his  journey  from  Sesheke  here,  he  met  a  young 
woman  who  was  by  no  means  at  her  first  husband  ;  she  pleased 
him  ;  he  found  a  matron  for  her  in  the  neighbourhood,  sent  for 
her,  and — the  marriage  was  concluded.     It  is  simple  enough. 

In  Basuto-land,  and  among  other  African  tribes  before  the 
introduction  of  Christianity,  "  marriage  by  cattle  "  was  a  blessing. 
It  was  a  barrier  against  corruption,  and  a  civil  contract.^  Here, 
no  such  thing.  A  wife  leaves  her  husband  for  another,  a 
husband  sends  his  wife  away  with  the  greatest  ease  in  the 
world,  and  nobody  is  astonished.  Should  a  man  take  a  fancy 
to  some  one  else's  wife,  he  has  an  interview  with  her,  brings  her 
home,  and  all  is  said  and  done.  If  it  is  a  chief,  the  matter  is 
even  easier.  In  many  cases,  it  is  the  women  themselves  who 
take  the  initiative.  A  very  remarkable  fact,  which  I  can  only 
indicate  here,  is  that  the  Barotsi  in  general  have  small  families. 
It  is  true,  though,  that  the  mortality  among  children  is  very 
great. 

March  2^th — April  2nd. 

The  disquieting  political  news  which  comes  to  us  from 
Sesheke  has  lately  procured  us  a  visit  from  Lewanika.  His 
person  was  neglected ;  he  was  gruff  and  uncommunicative. 
Discontent  is  breaking  out  here  and  there.  He  has  not  yet 
been  able  to  organise  his  great  annual   hunt  :  those  who  can, 

*  It  is  only  sorcerers  who  are  put  to  death  by  fire. 

*  In  cattle  marriages,  the  bridegroom  has  to  buy  his  wife  from  her  father 
with  cattle,  and  also  to  give  back  cattle  to  her  relatives  if  he  repudiates  her. 


iS87]  POISON   V.   J5L00DSIIED  285 

evade  his  orders  on  the  pretext  of  famine.  His  messengers 
make  murderous  descents  on  the  villages  :  every  one  flees  at 
their  approach.     What  a  pcoi)le  ! 

Here  is  a  messenger  from  the  king  !  Surely  it  bodes  some 
good  news,  for  he  comes  quite  beaming  ;  he  is  laughino-  with 
pleasure.  Since  the  affair  of  Moeya-nyana,  which  Lcwanika  has 
taken  the  trouble  to  tell  me  in  all  its  details,  I  am  rather 
suspicious  about  the  laughter  of  the  Barotsi.  Kambinda  per- 
ceives this,  and,  like  a  good  actor,  puts  on  a  serious  air.  "  The 
king,"  he  said,  "  is  not  indifferent  to  your  counsels.  You  have 
rebuked  him  for  governing  with  an  assegai  under  his  cloak  " 
(killing  people  clandestinely);  "you  have  told  him  that  God 
hates  the  shedding  of  blood.  Well,  he  makes  known  to  you 
to-day  that  he  has  cast  the  hidden  assegai  far  from  him,  and 
will  shed  no  more  blood.  The  other  day  seven  children  were 
discovered  in  the  woods  and  captured  :  among  them  was  a  wife 
of  Mokabesa,  one  of  the  chiefs  of  the  revolution.  Lewanika  had 
them  brought  into  the  full  council,  and  served  them  with  a  pot 
of  beer,  poisoned  in  their  sight.  *  You  are  of  an  accursed  race,' 
he  said  to  them  ;  '  your  fathers  have  killed  the  kings  who  loaded 
them  with  favours  ;  they  have  massacred  my  own  children.  My 
day  of  vengeance  has  come.  I  will  not  break  your  skulls  ;  I  will 
not  pierce  you  with  the  spear  ;  but  you  shall  all  drink  this  beer, 
poisoned  with  inoati.  And  if  your  god  can  save  you,  that  is 
his  affair.'  They  drank,  or  rather  were  forced  to  swallow,  the 
fatal  drink  ;  they  were  put  into  a  canoe,  and  abandoned  upon 
a  desert  island,  to  die  there." 

Since  our  arrival  here,  my  dear  wife  has  been  extremely  weak. 
The  waggon  journey  tried  her  very  much.  We  have  long  lodged 
in  our  old  van,  which  no  longer  ensures  us  against  either  wind 
or  rain.  Our  reed  hut  is  finished,  well  plastered  within  and 
without ;  it  does  not  dry  easily  ;  but  though  they  are  infested 
with  white  ants,  our  two  little  rooms  are  a  perfect  palace  for 
us.  We  are  surprised  at  the  number  of  things  we  possess  to 
make  it  comfortable  and  cosy,  and  we  are  filled  with  gratitude 
towards  our  heavenly  Father.  Mokwae,  the  queen,  first  of  all,  and 
then  Katoka,  her  sister,  have  come  to  spend  some  days  with  us. 
More  than  once,  we  had  to  show  them  round  our  two  rooms 
with  all  their  suite.  They  were  quite  astounded,  as  were  we, 
once  upon  a  time,  in  the  palace  of  Versailles.     What  astonished 


286  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF  CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1887 

them  most  was  our  casement  windows,  our  glass,  and  our  chairs. 
Pausing  in  ecstasies  before  each  separate  object,  Mokwae 
asked,  "  Have  you  given  anything  like  this  to  my  brother 
the  king  ?  "  She  strutted  about,  or  sat  proudly  enthroned  on 
her  mat  in  a  large-patterned  print  dress,  given  her  by  my  wife. 
They  appreciated  our  little  presents,  behaved  discreetly  on  the 
whole,  and  left  a  favourable  impression  upon  us. 

May  \th. 

The  great  event  of  this  month  is  the  school.  We  would 
have  wished  to  begin  it  on  arriving  here.  But,  first  of  all,  we 
had  to  make  ourselves  at  least  a  temporary  abode.  Even  now, 
the  school  is  carried  on  in  the  open  air,  in  the  midst  of  the 
constructions  which  are  absorbing  us  ;  but,  at  all  events,  it  is 
carried  on,  and  that  regularly  every  day.  Already,  it  numbers 
twenty  scholars  on  the  books.  It  was  on  March  4th,  in  the 
presence  of  the  queen,  that  we  opened  it.  Lewanika  has  sent 
us  two  of  his  sons  and  five  of  his  nephews :  other  chiefs  have 
followed  his  example.  A  hut  has  been  erected  for  Litia,  not 
without  difficulty :  the  others  have  made  themselves  shelters, 
the  whole  surrounded  with  a  palisade.  It  is  perhaps  the  embryo 
of  our  future  Normal  School.  You  would  not  believe  what  an 
interest  we  take  in  this  school,  and  with  what  joy  Aaron 
especially,  and  my  wife  and  I  alternately,  devote  a  part  of  our 
time  to  it  every  day.  Our  two  most  advanced  pupils  will  soon 
be  able  to  read  ;  they  all  have  some  notions  of  Bible  history 
and  of  geography.  But  they  are  villainous  singers.  Each  of 
our  little  people  has  come  with  a  number  of  slaves,  more  or 
less  ;  some  of  these  attend  school,  and  place  themselves  behind 
their  masters.  But  we  have  not  yet  arrived  at  making  them 
understand  that  the  teaching  is  for  them  too. 

What  is  much  more  serious,  is  the  question  of  how  to  feed 
all  these  mouths.  The  young  chiefs,  by  dint  of  threats,  at 
first  obtained  abundance.  But  the  source  became  exhausted  ; 
Litia's  people  spied  upon  the  passers-by  to  rob  them,  or  else 
pounced  upon  those  who  ventured  to  bring  us  their  produce.  We 
were  often  forced  to  intervene.  The  terror  which  the  presence 
of  these  princes  inspires  is  such,  that  our  little  Sunday  audience 
has  broken  up  :  we  have  had  to  experience  a  dearth  of  food ; 
and  it  has  been  almost  impossible  for  us  to  procure  workmen. 


i887]  AN   UNLUCKY  HUNT  287 

Our  dear  pupils  did  not  spare  us.  By  way  of  thanking  us 
for  the  provisions  we  gave  them  to  the  fullest  extent  of  our 
power,  they  set  to  work  to  eat  up  our  sheep  ;  but  they  did 
it  delicately,  like  artful  pickpockets.  To  obviate  all  these 
rascalities,  we  ought  to  have  a  boarding  school,  where  all  the 
pupils  would  be  on  the  same  footing  and  constantly  under 
the  master's  supervision.  That  too  will  come.  Meanwhile 
let  us  not  despise  small  beginnings,  but  give  thanks  to  God. 

May  li^th. 

A  fortnight  ago,  the  king  came  back  from  his  hunting 
expedition — an  unlucky  hunt,  if  ever  there  was  one.  In  vain 
had  his  emissaries  scoured  the  villages,  and  by  their  own 
peculiar  methods  carried  off  recruits  and  sowed  terrors  broad- 
cast. The  hunt  was  unpopular — I  know  not  why.  And  then 
the  floods  this  year  are  of  the  smallest  ;  only  the  lowest  parts 
of  the  Valley  are  submerged.  It  is  a  calamity  from  more 
than  one  point  of  view ;  and  from  that  of  the  chase  more 
particularly.  The  antelopes  run  all  over  the  veldt,  so  they 
cannot  be  penned  up  on  an  island  by  hundreds  of  canoes, 
as  is  usually  done,  and  slaughtered  easily.  And  as  the  Barotsi 
count  on  this  great  annual  hunt  of  a  month  or  two  to  lay 
in  their  store  of  skins,  one  can  understand  their  dismay  this 
year.  Hunger  brought  them  back  to  their  own  hearths.  Some 
were  nothing  but  living  skeletons.  Within  the  memory  of 
man,  no  such  thing  had  been  seen.  How  explain  it,  unless 
by  sorcery  ?  Certain  incidents  of  the  chase,  moreover,  had  put 
the  king  and  the  principal  chiefs  in  ill-humour.  The  day 
after  his  return,  he  found  the  floor  of  his  house  all  sprinkled 
with  blood.  This  time  there  could  be  no  doubt  his  own  person 
was  aimed  at.  But  who  was  the  author  of  these  misdeeds? 
Lewanika  went  no  more  to  the  lekhothla,  and  saw  no  one. 

Terror  seized  on  every  one,  and  spread  everywhere  like  a 
tidal  wave.  The  recalcitrants  who  had  not  taken  part  in  the 
hunt  hid  their  corn  and  their  little  property  by  night,  and 
escaped  into  the  woods.  The  Gambella,  the  other  ministers, 
and  all  the  chiefs  of  the  capital  did  not  feel  themselves  safe 
from  suspicions.  Every  one  made  it  a  point  of  honour  to  wash 
his  hands  of  it  by  submitting  to  the  ordeal  of  boiling  water. 
So,  on  a  given  day,  they  set  on  the  fire  in  the  lekhutlila  as  many 


288  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

pots  as  there  were  chiefs,  and  their  slaves,  always  as  proxies, 
plunged  their  hands  into  it  by  turns.  The  thing  which  so  far 
I  find  inexplicable  is  that  nobody  was  scalded.  The  women 
of  the  harem  then  had  their  turn,  and  next  it  was  that  of  the 
female  cooks  and  scullions. 

Directly  this  news  reached  us,  I  took  a  canoe  and  went 
to  the  capital.  It  was  Friday,  the  20th.  The  king  seemed 
pleased  to  see  me — his  heart  was  full ;  he  passed  a  great  part 
of  the  night  in  my  hut,  talking.  I  spent  the  whole  of  the  next 
day  in  private  interviews  with  his  principal  councillors,  and 
in  the  evening  they  were  all  assembled  at  my  place  with  their 
master.  But  that  did  not  suffice.  The  next  day,  Sunday, 
at  the  two  meetings,  I  preached  on  the  sixth  commandment : 
"Thou  shalt  not  kill."  1  leave  you  to  imagine  how  they 
opened  their  eyes,  when  they  heard  me  enunciate  and  develop 
this  truth,  here  so  new  and  strange,  that  man  is  the  creature, 
the  exclusive  property  of  God,  that  kings  and  governors  are 
only  the  shepherds  of  the  people,  and  servants  who  will  have 
to  render  an  account  of  their  stewardship.  However  much  I 
shrank  from  the  task,  I  had  to  denounce  the  atrocity  of  a 
superstition  which  so  lightly  sacrificed  so  many  human  lives, 
and  the  intrigues  which  have  produced  these  last  events.  I  felt 
the  full  importance  of  the  occasion,  and  the  grandeur  of  the 
ministry  committed  to  me.  Oh,  how  tremblingly  I  had  gone 
to  Lealuyi  ! — how  I  besought  my  Master  for  fidelity,  for 
strength,  and  the  power  of  a  burning  love  !  They  understood 
my  address  quite  as  well  as  the  purpose  of  my  visit.  The 
people,  astonished,  said,  "  Ah  yes,  indeed  ! "  The  king  hung 
his  head,  and  said  to  the  Gambella,  "  The  words  of  the  Moruti 
have  sunk  into  my  heart."  The  councillors  came  to  me  in 
private,  to  beg  me  to  repeat  them  to  him  ;  and  he  himself  in 
his  turn  asked  me  to  say  them  all  again  to  his  ministers.  They 
made  me  all  sorts  of  fine  promises ;  no  more  ordeals  by 
boiling  water,  no  more  poison,  no  more  burning  at  the  stake. 

On  the  Monday  morning,  a  man  planted  in  the  midst  of  the 
assembled  lekhothla  two  pieces  of  reed  with  tufts  of  poultry 
feathers  at  the  top.  The  fowls  they  were  plucked  from  had  gone 
through  the  preparatory  ordeal  of  the  moati,  and  had  succumbed 
to  it.  These  people  (their  owners)  were  sent  back,  and  told  that 
they  were  disturbing  the  public  peace  and  the  security  of  their 


i887]  THE  DAILY   ROUND  289 

villages.  I  do  not  know  whether  I  succeeded  in  saving  the 
life  of  one  old  woman,  one  of  the  cooks,  who  found  herself 
scalded.  But  let  us  not  deceive  ourselves :  it  is  not  at  the 
first  blast  of  the  ram's  horn  that  one  can  overthrow  or  even 
shake  the  walls  of  superstition.  It  is  one  of  Satan's  chief  strong- 
holds. But  we  shall  redouble  the  blows,  we  shall  dig  mines,  and 
happy  shall  we  be  if  we  succeed  in  making  a  breach  ! 

You  see  what  an  atmosphere  we  live  in.  Our  sky  would 
indeed  be  leaden,  without  the  light  of  God's  face ;  our  isolation 
would  be  unbearable,  without  the  communion  of  the  Saviour— 
and  I  would  add,  the  communion  of  saints. 

Sekula,  Noveynber  1887. 

A  chance  for  the  post  is  the  opening  of  our  prison  doors. 
Our  benumbed  thoughts  spread  their  wings  and  flutter  out. 
They  fly  into  the  open  air,  towards  the  countries  of  light,  and 
move  in  the  great  world  of  the  living.  But  the  pen  is  duller 
and  more  dilatory.  It  has  to  reckon  with  all  sorts  of  circum- 
stances, which  hamper  its  movements  and  chill  its  ardour. 
Oh,  how  we  should  fling  it  down,  if  we  only  had  a  telephone 
at  our  service  !  Our  isolation,  without  the  faintest  glimmer  of 
social  enjoyment,  is  a  severe  trial.  We  are  stifled  in  this 
atmosphere  of  corruption,  and  we  run  a  terrible  risk  of  growing 
rusty  and  settling  into  a  groove.  No  intellectual  or  moral 
movements  sustain  or  uplift  us  ;  all  our  surroundings  drag  us 
down  ;  and  alas !  when  we  are  in  the  dust,  even  then  we  are 
still  far  above  the  level  of  the  darkness  and  foulness  encircling  us. 

The  material  occupations  and  the  cares  which  crush  and 
absorb  us  are  a  heavy  cross,  which  we  often  carry  with  an  ill 
grace.  The  missionary,  whose  position,  unfortunately,  renders 
him  conspicuous,  and  whom  your  affection  puts  upon  a  pedestal, 
does  not  live  at  that  level  at  all ;  it  is  only  statues  that  stay 
there.  His  is  not  the  contemplative  life  of  the  monk,  nor  that 
of  a  lover  of  adventures,  full  of  dazzling  heroism.  No!  It  is 
humdrum  to  a  degree  that  would  amaze  you.  It  is  a  tissue 
of  humble  duties  and  little  details,  which  fritter  away  his  time, 
patience,  and  strength.  In  the  evening,  a  sense  of  sadness 
often  seizes  him,  when  he  makes  up  the  account  of  his  occupa- 
tions, and  has  nothing  to  show  for  it  but  disappointments  and 
fatigue.     Even  in  his  sleep,  he  is  often  haunted  by  the  prospect 

19 


290  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

of  the  struggles  awaiting  him  next  day.  Is  that,  I  ask  myself, 
the  ideal  life  of  an  apostle  ?  When  Paul  stitched  at  his  tents, 
was  he  sometimes  beset  by  the  cares  which  torment  the  most 
ordinary  of  human  beings  ? 

It  is  now  just  a  year  since  I  arrived  here,  accompanied  by 
our  friends  Waddell  and  Middleton.  My  wife  had  remained 
at  Sesheke.  We  pitched  our  tents  in  the  midst  of  some 
clumps  of  brushwood  and  mutilated  stumps,  on  this  sand-hill, 
covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  ashes.  This  year  must  have  seen 
at  least  twenty  moons  ! 

We  began  our  work  of  installation  in  the  midst  of  the  most 
unfavourable  circumstances.  Satan  was  not  the  only  one  to 
make  sport  of  us.  But  our  God,  ever  good  and  faithful,  has 
succoured  us  according  to  our  needs.  That  formidable  journey 
of  my  wife's,  which  was  thought  to  be  madness,  proved  quick 
and  easy.  Her  health,  shaken  by  the  rough  life  we  had  led 
for  three  years,  has  gradually  been  restored.  We  have  again 
had  losses  of  cattle,  which  have  seriously  complicated  our 
difficulties,  and  hampered  our  work  ;  but  we  have  all  enjoyed 
excellent  health,  and  the  attacks  of  fever  have  been  as  rare 
as  they  were  mild.  We  still  have  to  walk  in  thick  sand  :  the 
brushwood,  the  stumps  of  decapitated  trees,  our  jungles  and 
our  marshes,  are  still  there — the  haunts  of  serpents,  hyaenas, 
and  leopards.  The  place  will  never  be  picturesque :  our 
immense  bare  plain,  the  bed  of  a  dried-up  lake,  with  its  miry 
swamps,  will  never  be  a  Swiss  canton,  nor  even  a  Basuto-land. 
We  must  just  make  the  best  of  it.  But  Sefula  may  become 
habitable,  and  one  may  live  happily  there. 

While  drainage  works  are  being  actively  carried  on  in  the 
dale,  we  have  begun  to  clear  away  the  thickets,  and  already 
on  the  plateau,  where  formerly  sorcerers  were  burnt  alive,  four 
little  European  buildings  are  rising,  which  are  the  great  wonder 
of  the  country.  They  are  very  modest,  just  temporary  cabins 
of  stakes  and  reeds,  which  the  termites  are  already  eating  out. 
But  they  have  little  windows,  light  and  air.  You  would  not 
believe  the  interest  we  have  taken  in  setting  them  up,  plastering 
them,  and  making  the  most  of  what  we  have  to  furnish  them 
cosily.  Is  it  not  an  emblem  of  life,  which  we  know  to  be  so 
short,  and  which  we  strive  to  make  so  fair? 

Our    material    labours   are   only  just   begun  ;  the   greatest 


i887]  THE   SCHOOL  291 

arc  still  before  us,  and  we  contemplate  them  with  a  kind  of 
stupefaction.  Still,  we  must  have  more  stable  constructions 
than  those  which  shelter  us  now.  There  arc  no  stones  that 
I  know  of  within  a  radius  of  a  hundred  miles,  and  in  order 
to  build  we  shall  be  forced  to  make  bricks.  Middleton  has 
made  an  attempt  in  the  Valley,  which  has  succeeded  tolerably 
well.  But  he,  to  our  great  regret,  is  leaving  us  to  return  to 
Europe  ;  and  unless  we  find  some  mechanical  means  of  prose- 
cuting this  work,  the  difficulties  it  presents  are  such  that  I 
should  feel  unequal  to  undertaking  them.  I  should  be  unjust 
if  I  did  not  render  public  testimony  to  the  devotion  of  WaddcU 
and  Middleton. 

So  much  for  material  things.  Now,  what  shall  I  say  of  the 
mission  work  itself?  We  are  still  at  the  day  of  small  beginnings. 
We  are  clearing  the  ground.  It  is  a  very  uninteresting  period, 
for  we  have  nothing  as  yet  to  show  for  it  but  our  clods  and 
the  sweat  of  our  brow.  But  we  must  clear  the  ground  at  all 
costs,  if  we  would  one  day  sow,  and  later  on  reap  the  harvest. 
For  the  present,  the  great  thing  is,  not  to  lose  courage  ;  above 
all,  not  to  lose  faith  in  the  work. 

Let  us  first  of  all  visit  the  school,  which  is  carried  on 
yonder  under  the  scanty  shade  of  a  hollow  tree.  It  has  gone 
on  regularly  since  the  beginning  of  April.  From  thirty-five, 
the  number  of  scholars  has  declined  to  twenty.  The  slaves 
(already  rather  big)  of  our  young  chiefs  have  gradually  wearied 
of  this  passive  service,  so  uninteresting  for  them,  and  of  a 
discipline  which,  however  light,  is  irksome  to  these  children 
of  nature.  With  one  or  two  exceptions,  of  which  we  carefully 
keep  count,  we  have  found  it  impossible  to  make  voluntary 
recruits  among  the  surrounding  villages.  The  school  is  still 
considered  exclusively  that  of  the  young  princes ;  and  those 
who  attend  it  are,  or  by  the  mere  fact  become,  their  serfs  and 
their  slaves.  That  is  enough  to  frighten  the  parents,  and  the 
children  themselves.  With  time,  this  will  alter ;  but  for  the 
moment  it  is  unfortunate. 

Our  young  men's  establishment  leaves  much  to  be  desired 
in  every  respect.  Its  morality  is  not  exemplary ;  hunger  is 
its  habitual  guest,  for  these  princes  live  at  the  charges  of  a 
public  which  loves  them  not,  and  this  is  the  source  of  great 
disorder,  which  we  arc  not  in  a  position  to  ameliorate.     They 


292  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1887 

have  nearly  finished  up  our  Httle  flock  of  sheep  and  goats, 
and  we  do  not  know  which  way  to  turn  for  a  little  meat. 
Lately,  during  my  absence,  they  stole  my  two  aneroid  barometers, 
probably  to  make  snuff-boxes  of  them.  Poor  children  !  they 
little  thought  what  mischief  they  were  doing  me.  We  have 
even  had  for  a  time  to  forbid  them  access  to  the  workshop, 
whence  nails,  screws,  and  tools  were  disappearing  with  alarming 
rapidity. 

And  yet,  if  you  but  knew  with  what  cares  and  prayers  we 
surround  this  school !  People  would  not  believe  in  Europe, 
no,  not  even  in  Basuto-land,  the  amount  of  patience  and  perse- 
verance needed  to  teach  this  class  of  young  men,  who  believe 
that  everything  is  permitted  to  them,  and  who  turn  everything 
into  ridicule.  In  spite  of  all  our  occupations,  my  wife  and  I 
devote  a  certain  time  every  day  to  helping  Aaron  in  his  irksome 
task.  Happily,  he  is  gifted  with  a  strong  will  and  plenty  of 
energy.  But  he  is  not  equal  to  the  task.  Five  of  his  pupils 
already  read  fluently,  and  some  others  are  making  progress. 
What  we  need  here,  and  what  would  do  enormous  good,  is  an 
industrial  school.  The  Barotsi  are  industrious  in  their  own  way. 
They  do  wicker-work,  and  manipulate  wood  and  iron  with 
much  taste  and  skill.  The  king  pesters  me  to  take  apprentices. 
First  of  all,  it  was  a  dozen  grown-up  men  ;  then  "  his  sons  '  {i.e. 
the  boys  of  the  royal  family,  including  his  nephews),  whom  he 
imagined  he  had  thoroughly  equipped  with  tools,  when  he  had 
got  them  a  plane  ;  then  others  again,  who,  he  expected,  would 
in  a  few  months  become  as  expert  as  Mr.  Waddell  himself  He 
does  not  understand  how  reasons  of  economy  (for  all  these 
mouths  must  be  fed)  and  the  press  of  work  together  oblige 
me  to  refuse  these  amateur  apprentices,  and  he  never  misses  a 
chance  of  reproaching  me  with  it.  I  was  forced  in  the  end  to 
yield  and  take  two  intelligent  men,  although  they  are  a  burden 
and  a  hindrance  to  us. 

We  tell  ourselves  that  this  too  is  a  work.  I  cannot  blind 
myself :  I  see  ever  more  clearly  the  immense  services  that 
industry  and  commerce,  in  upright  and  Christian  hands,  could 
render  to  the  evangelisation  of  this  country.  The  civilising 
side  is  perhaps  the  one  that  our  poverty  has  led  us  to  neglect 
too  much.  It  is  a  subject  which  deserves  the  attention  of 
Christian  philanthropists. 


i887]  ROMANCE    VERSUS   REALITY  293 

Our  Sunday  audiences  are  subject  to  all  sorts  of  fluctuations. 
We  had  succeeded  up  to  a  certain  point  in  restoring  the  con- 
fidence of  the  people  who  came  to  sell  their  produce.  One  day, 
the  king  pays  us  a  visit,  finds  his  children  have  grown  thin, 
assembles  the  chiefs  of  the  neighbouring  villages  to  rebuke 
them,  and  there  is  all  our  work  of  several  months  crumbled 
away  at  a  touch.  While  our  little  chiefs  profited  by  one  of  my 
long  absences  to  give  themselves  a  free  hand,  their  guardians 
and  followers  lay  in  wait  for  the  people  who  came  to  sell  their 
produce  or  to  be  present  at  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  They 
ruthlessly  despoiled  the  former,  and  brutally  forced  the  latter 
to  perform  the  hardest  and  most  servile  labour.  The  work  is 
not  easy,  you  see ;  more  briers  than  down  in  our  nest.  Perhaps, 
in  this  dark  picture,  I  have  not  sufficiently  allowed  for  circum- 
stances. How  can  we  attract  a  regular  audience,  and  see  a 
school  prosper,  when  we  have  not  even  a  roof  to  shelter  us? 
Day  after  day,  teaching  and  preaching  go  on  outside,  in  wind, 
sun,  and  rain,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  multitude  of  distractions, 
each  more  alluring  than  the  other. 

I  do  not  know  in  what  language  to  express  my  thoughts, 
to  make  our  friends  understand  that  the  savages — ours,  that 
is — are  not  in  the  least  the  sweet,  simple,  affectionate,  confiding 
creatures  they  are  represented  to  be  in  Europe ;  that  they  have 
not  the  slightest  desire  to  hear,  and  still  less  to  receive,  the  Gospel. 
Here,  as  with  us,  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God ;  but 
here — and  do  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact — this  enmity  often 
expresses  itself  in  the  grossest  and  most  humiliating  guise. 
Do  not  misunderstand  us.  Even  the  most  intelligent  chiefs 
have  very  vague  and  very  false  notions  about  us  and  about 
our  mission  ;  and  if  they  call  us  into  their  country,  it  is  generally 
for  political  objects  and  from  personal  interests.  For  us,  whatever 
may  be  the  key  God  uses  to  open  the  door,  it  is  our  duty  to 
step  in,  even  though  it  were  the  door  of  a  prison.  We  cannot 
expect  to  be  received  with  enthusiasm  or  triumph ;  all  that 
we  ask,  or  have  a  right  to  ask,  is  toleration.  Missionaries 
are  often  reproached  with  colouring  their  pictures  too  highly. 
Would  you  like  me  to  add  deeper  shadows  to  mine?  It  is 
never  without  a  pang  at  my  heart  that  I  dip  my  brush  in  dark 
colours,  to  acquaint  you  with  those  we  have  come  to  evangelise. 
If  I  did  not  owe  it  to  you  to  tell  the  truth   I  would  rather  cover 


294  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S87 

them  with  the  cloak  of  charity.  We  only  give  you  glimpses. 
Now  they  are  gloomy  and  sad.  What  would  you  say  to  the 
reality,  such  as  it  is,  alas !  with  which,  moreover,  we  have  to  live 
in  continual  contact? 

I  have  told  you  already  that  I  made  a  journey  to  Kazungula 
to  meet  our  friends  the  Jallas  and  MM.  Dardier  and  Goy. 
These  long  and  repeated  absences,  without  any  communica- 
tions, are  painful  trials  among  so  many  others  which  assail 
us  here.  We  do  not  get  used  to  them.  During  my  journeys, 
Mme.  Coillard,  already  weighed  down  by  her  own  duties,  has 
further  to  charge  herself  with  a  part  of  mine,  and  to  assume 
all  the  responsibility.  It  is  not  an  easy  task  with  Zambesians. 
At  Scsheke,  the  sinister  rumours  of  a  new  revolution  are  flying 
about  the  country.  In  certain  places,  they  were  talking  to  each 
other  confidentially  about  a  plot,  which  they  asserted  the  Gam- 
bella  himself  was  concocting,  and  which  was  to  break  out  imme- 
diately. The  sudden  alteration  in  the  behaviour  of  my  oarsmen, 
their  insubordination,  the  rapacity  and  arrogance  of  Mokumba 
and  his  men,  and  other  equally  disquieting  symptoms,  gave 
additional  substance  to  all  these  rumours.  It  was  even  asserted 
that  at  the  Valley,  since  our  departure,  the  insurgents  had  twice 
surrounded  the  capital,  but  that,  finding  themselves  numerically 
too  weak,  they  had  quietly  dispersed.  Would  the  revolution 
break  out  during  my  absence,  and  the  country  be  thrown  once 
more  into  anarchy?  What  would  my  wife  do?  How  could  I 
rejoin  her  with  this  band  of  "  brigands,"  as  they  called  them, 
being,  as  I  now  found  myself,  absolutely  at  their  mercy  ?  But 
one  is  calm  when  one  really  confides  oneself  to  God  :  "  I  will 
both  lay  me  down  in  peace,  and  sleep,"  said  the  Psalmist :  "  for 
Thou,  Lord,  only  makest  me  dwell  in  safety." 

My  return  journey  was  accomplished  without  misadventure, 
notwithstanding  ;  and  I  was  bringing  reinforcements.  My 
travelling  companions,  MM.  Dardier  and  Goy,  seemed  so  happy, 
and  enjoyed  themselves  so  much,  I  felt  quite  young  again. 
At  less  than  two  days  from  Sefula,  they  fell  ill.  I  thought 
at  first  it  was  simply  an  attack  of  fever.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  in  Dr.  Dardier's  case,  it  was  a  sunstroke,  slight  enough 
in  itself,  but  it  proved  an  exciting  cause  for  other  disorders. 
My  wife,  being  warned  in  time,  sent  the  cart  for  the  last  stage. 
It  was  the  saddest  part  of  the  journey.     The  children  of  the 


l887]  AN    EQUESTRIAN   ADVENTURE  295 

school,  led  by  Aaron,  came  to  meet  us,  singing  hymns.  I 
alighted  to  shake  hands  with  our  dear  pupils.  This  simple 
reception  in  the  Barotsi  country  moved  me  ;  but  our  patients 
scarcely  noticed  it.  M.  Goy  soon  got  over  this  first  tribute 
paid  to  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate,  and  recovered  his 
energy  and  spirit.  Not  so  Dr.  Dardier.  After  a  serious  illness, 
he  seemed  to  be  fully  convalescent,  when  certain  symptoms 
arose  and  alarmed  him.  Now  he  is  leaving  us,  and  returning 
to  Sesheke,  partly  for  a  family  event  which  the  Jallas  are 
expecting,  but  more  especially  on  account  of  his  health.  Will 
he  ever  come  back  to  Sefula  ?  Our  sorrow  and  disappointment 
are  great,  and  they  are  in  proportion  to  the  immense  joy  which 
the  arrival  of  this  reinforcement  had  afforded  us,  and  the  hopes 
we  had  conceived. 

The  question  of  evangelisation  is  one  difficult  to  resolve 
satisfactorily.  What  method  can  we  invent  ?  It  is  evident 
that  that  of  Basuto-land  will  not  do  here.  There,  you  spring  to 
the  saddle,  and  gallop  whither  you  will ;  you  visit  one,  two,  or 
three  villages,  according  to  the  time  at  disposal  ;  or  else  organise 
a  campaign  lasting  two  or  three  days.  It  is  magnificent.  Here, 
it  is  different.  The  villages,  scattered  over  the  undulations  of 
the  plain  or  in  the  midst  of  the  cultivated  marshes,  are  all 
difficult  of  access.  You  can  neither  reach  them  in  canoes, 
because  there  is  not  enough  water,  nor  on  foot,  because  of  the 
peat-bogs,  unless  you  relieve  yourself  of  all  your  clothes,  which  is 
not  always  practicable.  I  generally  ride  along  the  edge  of  the 
plain.  I  call  the  chiefs  of  the  hamlets  and  the  people  whom 
I  know,  and  many  run  up  eagerly.  But  it  is  not  always  a  house- 
to-house  visit,  and  I  do  not  reach  everybody  I  should  like  to. 

The  other  day,  I  wanted  for  the  fifth  time  to  attempt  a 
visit  to  Namboata's  village,  which  we  see  three  miles  from 
here.  I  had  made  arrangements,  and  had  procured  a  man 
from  among  my  friends  to  come  with  his  sons  and  act  as  a 
guide.  Everything  went  well  for  three-quarters  of  the  way. 
Then  I  found  myself  involved  in  a  miry  swamp,  crossed  by 
a  sort  of  canal.  At  the  edge  of  the  deep  artificial  rivulet,  the 
horse,  which  was  every  moment  sinking  deeper,  obstinately 
refused  to  go  on.  He  grew  restive  ;  threw  himself  first  to  one 
side,  then  to  the  other  ;  kicked  furiously,— all  to  no  purpose.  I 
stuck  to  the  saddle.     All  at  once,  he  plunged,  dropped  his  head 


296  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1S87 

between  his  fore-legs,  and  began  bucking  so  violently,  that 
before  long  I  was  rolling  in  the  mud,  while  my  mount  had 
bolted  across  the  morasses,  and  was  galloping  over  the  veldt, 
my  two  guides  after  him.  In  vain  I  approached  him  quite 
gently,  my  hat  in  my  hand,  just  as  when  he  is  being  fed  in 
the  evening.  The  ruse  did  not  succeed  this  time  ;  and  the 
horse  was  off  like  a  shot,  far  away  over  the  plain.  So  I  must 
needs  paddle  humbly  through  the  pools,  and  reach  home  a 
pitiable  object. 

There  is  a  comic  element  in  this  little  adventure,  which  is 
not  the  only  one  of  its  kind  ;  but  it  leads  up  to  another  which 
I  must  tell  you  about — alas  !  a  very  different  one.  A  week  ago, 
one  of  our  little  boys  was  leading  my  horse  to  water,  and  turning 
it  out  to  browse  (it  is  a  stallion,  which  always  tries  to  bolt  in 
the  direction  of  the  capital).  He  was  playing  with  the  tether, 
when  suddenly  the  animal  took  fright  and  galloped  off  with 
the  child  after  him.  M.  Goy's  workmen  were  instantly  pursuing 
him,  shouting  to  the  boy  at  the  top  of  their  voices  to  let  go 
the  bridle.  The  horse,  kicking  furiously,  disappeared  into  the 
woods  at  full  gallop.  When,  a  few  seconds  later,  it  was  found, 
quivering  and  covered  with  foam,  in  the  open,  the  child  was  still 
there — but  alas  !  nothing  but  a  lifeless  and  mutilated  corpse. 
It  was  found  that,  in  playing  with  the  tether,  he  had  made 
a  running  knot,  and  passed  his  arm  through  it,  when  the  horse, 
suddenly  frightened,  had  galloped  away.  We  are  in  great 
sorrow.  Dear  little  boy  !  poor  Samochese !  He  might  have 
been  twelve  years  old.  During  the  two  months  he  had  been 
with  us,  he  had  won  everybody's  affection.  He  was  so  active, 
so  careful,  so  loveable.  We  had  built  such  hopes  upon  him. 
Now  his  sudden  and  awful  death  has  destroyed  them  all.  It 
is  the  first  burial  which  has  taken  place  at  Sefula  :  it  was  on 
Sunday  morning,  the  13th  of  this  month.  Forgive  me  for 
dwelling  at  such  length  on  this  bereavement,  which  we  shall 
long  remember.  To  us,  it  seems  very  great ;  and  when  we 
think  of  his  father,  above  all  of  his  mother,  we  do  not  know 
how  to  be  comforted- 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Barotsi  on  the  War-path— A  Cattle  Raid  in  Prospect— "To  the  Mashuku- 
lumboe!"— A  Full-dress  Parade— On  the  March— The  Prophetess- 
Break-up  of  the  School— Thieves— Fate  of  the  Rebel  Mathaha  and  of 
the  loyal  Tahalima — "The  Commune" — False  Reports. 

Sefula,  January  i^th,  1888. 

A  TIME  of  revolution  among  the  Barotsi  means  anarchy 
in  its  fullest  development.  It  is  the  hour  for  personal 
revenges.  Every  one  pillages  and  massacres  without  running 
the  risk  of  ever  being  called  to  justice.  "  Ke-lerumo  !  "  (  "  It  is 
the  spear" — civil  war).  That  justifies  every  passion,  every  dis- 
order, every  crime,  and  every  atrocity. 

Can  one  form  the  least  idea  of  what  this  country  becomes, 
whose  inhabitants,  even  in  time  of  peace,  are  so  swift  to  shed 
blood  ?  One  might  truly  say,  that  it  was  over  these  tribes  of 
the  Zambesi  that  the  prophet  Hosea  was  lamenting,  when  he 
said,  "  There  is  nought  but  swearing  and  breaking  faith,  and 
killing,  and  stealing,  and  committing  adultery  ;  they  break 
out,  and  blood  toucheth  blood."  ^  I  have  already  had  occasion 
to  speak  of  this  ;  forgive  me  for  recurring  to  it  ;  but,  be  it 
remembered,  we  shall  never  tell  everything;  our  confidences 
will  always — yes,  always,  alas  ! — come  short  of  the  reality. 

One  detail,  The  Barotsi  are  not  at  all  a  pastoral  people. 
Formerly,  when  they  could  "  lift "  an  ox  from  the  Mashuku- 
lumboe,  they  made  a  public  feast  of  it,  roasted  it  on  the  embers, 
flesh  and  hide  together,  as  they  still  do  with  the  zebra  ;  it 
was  exquisite,  the  singed  hair  flavouring  the  dishes.  The 
Makololo  initiated  them  a  little  into  the  pastoral  life,  but 
without  imparting  to  them  anything  of  their  veneration  for 
the  bovine  race.  Except  in  very  unusual  circumstances,  such 
as   a  marriage,  a  purification    for   burial,  or   a  sacrifice  to  the 

'  Hosea  iv.  2  (R.V.). 
297 


298  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1888 

ancestors,  it  is  rare  for  a  Mosuto  to  allow  himself  the  luxury 
of  killing  an  ox,  A  calf — a  cow,  never !  It  would  be  sacrilege. 
Here  all  are  immolated,  without  distinction  and  without  special 
reason — bulls  and  heifers,  oxen  and  calves.  They  kill  and 
eat,  like  greedy  children  beginning  with  the  best.  When  the 
herd  has  vanished,  each  man  looks  at  his  neighbour  and  raises 
the  cry,  "  To  the  Mashukulumboe  !  " 

During  the  recent  troubles,  the  bovine  race  has  been  almost 
literally  exterminated  in  the  country,  I  could  never  have 
believed  it,  if  I  had  not  had  the  proofs  before  my  eyes.  It 
was — I  am  speaking  more  particularly  of  the  Valley — a 
universal  butchery.  Every  one  tried  to  outdo  the  other  in 
slaughter.  There  were  no  more  masters.  No  one's  property 
was  respected,  not  even  that  appropriated  by  the  chiefs  who 
held  power.  And  we  experienced  something  of  it  ourselves. 
To  this  unbridled  prodigality,  a  famine  succeeded  ;  it  was  only 
to  be  expected.  Then,  as  always,  the  cry  arose,  "  To  the 
Mashukulumboe  ! " 

Lewanika  wanted  to  yield  to  these  clamours,  thinking  it  a 
good  opportunity  for  winning  popularity.  But  famine  raged 
through  the  kingdom,  the  political  horizon  was  not  clear,  and 
he  was  obliged  regretfully  to  yield  to  the  counsels  of  the  wise 
men,  and  give  up  the  expedition.  It  was  only  deferred.  Since 
then,  it  has  become  the  topic  of  conversation,  the  dream  of  the 
populace. 

Now  the  favourable  season  has  arrived  ;  the  rains  are  falling, 
the  streams  are  overflowing,  the  pools  and  ponds  have  become 
lakes,  and  soon  the  Valley  will  be  submerged.  That  will  last 
till  June.  The  south-east  wind  will  then  begin  to  blow,  the 
waters  will  abate,  and  the  earth  will  dry.  Until  that  moment, 
the  Barotsi  believe  that  their  country  is  sufficiently  protected 
by  the  waters  against  an  invasion,  and  that  they  have  time  to 
go  and  make  their  contemplated  raid.  Lewanika,  who  at  first 
communicated  his  plans  to  me,  now  shows  himself  more  reserved, 
since  he  knows  my  opinion.  It  is  the  public  talk,  that  he  keeps 
us  informed  of  all  that  is  going  forward. 

On  a  certain  day,  all  the  chiefs  of  the  country  were  assembled 
together  at  Lcaluyi.  The  queen,  Mokwae,  whose  advice  has 
great  weight  in  questions  of  this  kind,  also  attended  there,  after 
keeping  every  one  a  long  time  waiting. 


A   RAID   IN    PROSPECT  299 

Some  days  afterwards,  we  went  thither  also,  at  the  entreaty 
of  the  king.  It  was  M.  Goy's  first  visit  to  the  capital,  and  he 
will  not  soon  forget  it.  The  journey  was  full  of  adventures, 
Soaked  through  from  the  beginning,  and  that  to  the  skin,  we 
were  obliged  alternately  to  go  through  showers,  through  burn- 
ing sun,  and  cold  squalls  of  wind  which  were  driving  up 
the  clouds.  Night  overtook  us.  We  wandered  long  in  these 
interminable  sheets  of  water,  without  the  smallest  landmark, 
losing  our  way  a  dozen  times,  finding  it  only  to  lose  it  again. 
Utterly  sick  of  it  at  last,  we  abandoned  the  canoe  as  soon  as 
we  could  moor  it  in  the  reeds,  set  to  work  resolutely  to  paddle 
through  mud  and  water  again  for  more  than  half  an  hour,  and 
we  arrived  at  ten  o'clock  barefoot,  en  calecon — begging  your 
pardon — famished  and  exhausted. 

The  town  was  overflowing  with  people.  Here  and  there 
were  bivouacs,  where  they  still  talked  ;  the  rush  fires — for  fuel 
is  scarce  in  the  Valley — occasionally  shot  out  a  flame  that 
rendered  darkness  visible,  and,  dying  out,  left  it  thicker  than 
ever.  The  enclosure  of  the  knatidic — the  king's  private  house 
in  the  midst  of  his  harem — was  packed  full.  Our  arrival  caused 
surprise,  for  no  one  here  journeys  at  such  unseasonable  hours. 
Lewanika  hurried  up,  laughing  with  pleasure,  and  wc  soon  had 
one  of  his  houses  at  our  disposal,  mats,  a  fire  which  made  us 
shiver  only  to  look  at  it,  and  to  warm  our  empty  stomachs 
a  cup  of  some  liquid.  They  told  us,  I  believe,  that  it  was 
coffee.  Upon  that,  we  could  sustain  conversation  up  to  a  late 
hour.  Our  royal  friend,  quite  full  of  his  expedition,  felt  the 
need  of  justifying  it  in  our  eyes.  "  They  ill-treated  Dr.  Holub, 
who  had  just  come  from  me  ;  it  is  my  duty  to  chastise  them. 
Besides,  they  are  not  human  beings  ;  they  are  quite  naked. 
And  then  ..."  he  added  hesitatingly,  "  and  then  .  .  .  we  have 
no  more  cattle,  and  we  absolutely  must  have  some.  But  you 
may  be  sure  it  is  our  very  last  expedition.  On  our  return,  wc 
will  give  ourselves  up  entirely  to  your  teaching  ;  and  we  will 
all  become  believers,  all  Christians  ,  .  .  all."  Undoubtedly, 
he  put  the  accent  in  the  right  place  ;  and  if  we  are  not  con- 
vinced, he  at  least  was  consoled. 

Next  day,  great  animation  reigned  throughout  the  village. 
On  all  sides,  the  slaves  and  women  were  coming  and  going, 
jostling  with  busy  messengers  ;  they   were  actively   preparing 


300  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

food  for  the  road.  Everywhere  one  heard  the  cadence  of  the 
pestles,  like  the  flails  of  many  threshing-floors.  The  chiefs 
themselves  held  their  little  councils  of  war  in  twos  and  threes 
apart  ;  while  the  court  fools  raved  deliriously,  made  music  with 
the  gourds,  shrieked  and  bellowed,  no  one  taking  the  slightest 
notice  of  them.  Fresh  detachments  of  armed  men  kept  coming 
up  every  moment.  In  the  evening,  there  was  a  grand  military 
demonstration — let  us  not  call  it  a  review.  The  warriors,  under 
their  respective  chiefs,  massed  themselves  on  the  public  square  ; 
they  were  draped  in  flaming  colours,  decked  out  in  ostrich 
feathers,  in  rags  and  fripperies  of  European  clothing,  in  leopard 
skins,  in  every  kind  of  wild  beast's  hide,  great  or  small,  which 
could  give  a  man  the  semblance  of  an  animal  and  a  sufficiently 
ferocious  aspect. 

Little  detachments  would  feign  an  attack  upon  an  imaginary 
enemy,  perform  some  evolutions  which  drew  frantic  applause 
from  the  spectators,  and  retire  to  their  places  ;  then  the  whole 
black  mass  chanted  lugubriously  a  wild  war-song.  Some  of 
the  commandants  next  came  forward,  and  angrily  harangued 
the  king  ;  then  advancing  at  the  double,  they  fell  on  their 
knees,  and  planted  gun  and  shield  before  the  ministers,  still 
declaiming  with  bitter  words,  and  demanding  that  "  this  timid 
king,  who  does  not  know  his  own  mind,  should  at  last  let  loose 
his  infuriated  dogs." 

What  astonished  me  was  the  number  of  firearms  possessed 
by  these  people.  They  had  them  of  every  calibre.  To  be 
sure,  they  are  not  of  the  most  modern  pattern  ;  the  majority 
are  flint-locks.^  Never  mind,  they  ^xegiins  !  And  to  a  Morotsi 
the  name  alone  is  magic.  No  doubt  the  assegai  is  still  the 
national  weapon — and  a  formidable  weapon,  too  ;  but  the  shields 
of  hide — copied  from  those  of  the  Matabele,  which  the  Makololo 
themselves  had  adopted — are  few  in  number  and  ill-kept. 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  all  that  is  purely  national  is  dying  out. 
This  is  to  be  regretted,  for  it  is  not  always  a  sign  of  progress. 

As  we  are  here  to  make  observations,  let  us  cast  a  glance 
upon  the  Sunday-morning  audience  which  the  public  crier 
assembles.  The  king,  with  his  band  of  music  and  his 
"  monstrous    regiment "    of    likoniboa   (officers    and    favourites 

*  The  Portuguese  have  two  factories  of  flint-lock  guns  in  South  Africa. 


i888]  A   FULL-DRESS    PARADE  3OI 

attached  to  his  personal  service,  who  possess  great  influence), 
has  made  his  entrance.  Every  one  kneels  and  acclaims  him. 
This  is  more  than  the  usual  greeting :  it  is  because  yesterday 
his  Majesty  did  not  appear  at  the  kliotJda,  and  he  is  supposed 
to  be  angry ;  and  "  the  king's  wrath,"  saith  Solomon,  "  is  as 
messengers  of  death."  Little  by  little,  the  public  place  fills, 
and  produces  on  me  the  effect  of  a  kaleidoscope.  I  do  not  see, 
as  I  did  at  Sesheke  ten  years  ago,  the  cast-off  clothes  of  soldiers, 
of  police  constables,  of  naval  officers  and  high  functionaries,  with 
faded  braids  and  broideries,  which  the  uttermost  waves  of 
commerce  had  tossed  hither  like  foam.  No.  But  the  spectacle, 
though  different,  is  not  less  curious.  The  many-coloured 
cotton  cap  so  dear  to  the  Barotsi  is  a  rarity.  Men  of  import- 
ance supply  its  place  by  wrapping  the  head  in  a  handkerchief, 
which  does  not  keep  its  freshness  very  long  ;  and  to  that  they 
add,  if  possible,  a  felt  hat,  seldom  very  correct  in  shape. 

In  exchange  for  ivory,  Lewanika  had  bought  up  the  whole 
stock  of  merchandise  brought  him  just  now  by  Mr.  Westbeech 
on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  by  the  caravan  of  a 
Portuguese  merchant  from  Bih6.  Everybody,  in  varying 
degrees,  had  a  share  in  the  royal  largesse  ;  and  were  it  but  a 
remnant  of  an  elbow's  length,  he  must  stick  it  on  somehow. 
So  one  sees  nothing  but  new  setsibas  and  tinsels  of  every 
colour.  Well,  they  may  pass  muster,  and  so  may  the  hats  and 
the  shirts  and  the  motley  blankets.  But  what  of  the  garments 
of  European  cut  ?  Just  look  at  this  old  man,  whose  withered 
limbs  bob  about  like  matches  in  the  folds  of  a  vesture  made 
for  a  Hercules  ;  while  the  Hercules  has  succeeded — I  don't 
know  how — in  hauling  on  a  pair  of  breeches  which  are  splitting. 
Here,  a  stout  individual  is  rigged  out  in  a  waistcoat  only,  and 
nothing  else  ;  there  is  another  of  similar  proportions  in  a  sailor's 
jumper — a  real  strait-jacket  for  him.  No  matter,  he  must  raise 
his  arms  over  his  head  to  salute  the  king,  and  return  thanks  for 
his  gift.  Whichever  way  you  look,  the  absurdities  are  enough 
to  make  you  laugh  till  the  tears  run  down  your  cheeks. 

Suddenly,  every  gaze  is  directed  towards  a  procession  which 
advances  with  dignity.  It  is  the  queen,  Mokwaii,  who  comes 
with  her  suite  of  young  maidens,  with  the  princesses,  the 
daughters  of  Sepopa,  and  the  wives  of  Lewanika.  All  are  clad 
in  robes  of  calico  print,  all  pieces  of  the  same  brightly  coloured 


302  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

stuff,  floating  over  their  shoulders,  and  large  handkerchiefs  on 
their  heads,  streaming  behind  like  veils  ;  and,  with  all  that,  a 
profusion  of  beadwork  and  jewellery  from  some  Parisian  bazaar. 
They  gravely  take  up  their  place  behind  us  on  their  mats  ;  and 
after  the  whole  assembly  has  clapped  hands,  the  service  com- 
mences, I  speak  from  the  text,  "  And  this  is  the  condemnation, 
that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved  darkness  rather 
than  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil." 

The  next  day  we  wanted  to  start  early,  but  Lewanika  desired 
that  we  should  be  present  at  the  great  National  Council.  We 
yielded.  We  took  our  places  with  him  in  the  spacious  hut  of 
the  lekJiotlila,  a  sort  of  shed  open  on  all  sides.  The  chiefs  were 
packed  there  together  like  herrings,  while  the  crowd  pressed 
round  outside  and  listened  eagerly.  The  session  lasted  from 
8  a.m.  till  one  in  the  afternoon.  It  was  a  succession  of  little 
speeches,  going  off  like  rockets.  Decidedly,  the  Barotsi  are  not 
Basuto  ;  they  do  not  understand  public  speaking,  and  Lewanika 
is  no  better  than  the  others.  Counsels  were  divided.  The  great 
chiefs  had  consulted  the  bones,  the  oracle  had  condemned  the 
expedition,  and  they  were  hesitating.  Lewanika  had  known 
of  this  for  two  days,  and  he  was  furious.  Now,  they  would  be 
setting  forth  every  possible  objection  ;  then,  to  pacify  the  king, 
they  would  be  vaunting  his  wisdom  and  the  prowess  of  the 
Barotsi,  and  conjuring  him  to  start  without  delay.  Others, 
but  very  few,  had  the  courage  of  their  opinions,  and  frankly 
disapproved,  especially  the  Natamoyo  and  the  Gambella.  The 
great  majority  loudly  demanded  the  expedition,  especially  the 
likoDiboa,  the  favourite  minions  of  the  king,  who  are  always  in 
rivalry  with  the  ministers  :  it  was  they  who  spoke  loudest  of  all. 

The  occasion  was  a  unique  one  for  speaking  some  home 
truths  to  these  people,  and  I  did  so.  I  saw,  after  the  king's 
closing  speech,  that  the  expedition  had  died  a  natural  death. 
We  rejoiced  over  it  with  M.  Goy,  and  it  consoled  us  for 
reaching  home  late  at  night,  churning  up  the  water  and  tramp- 
ling through  the  mud.  But  the  likomboa  were  excited  ;  and 
backed  by  the  great  mass  of  the  warriors  present,  they  waited 
till  our  departure,  convoked  another  council,  and  won  the  game. 
A  messenger  came,  two  days  later,  to  announce  that  the  expe- 
dition was  definitely  decided  upon,  and  that  the  king  was  getting 
ready  for  the  campaign. 


i888]  THE   PROPHETESS  303 

February  \6th. 

Decidedly,  the  expedition  is  on  its  way.  Up  till  the  last 
moment,  I  had  counted  on  I  know  not  what  eventuality  to 
put  a  stop  to  it.  But  no !  In  vain  had  the  king  been  told 
of  the  famine  which  is  ravaging  the  Makalaka,  on  whom  he 
counts  for  provisioning  his  army  :  all  to  no  purpose.  They  beat 
the  big  war  drums  all  night.  The  warriors,  who  had  returned 
home  to  prepare  their  commissariat  for  the  road,  began  to 
assemble.  The  king  performed  his  devotions.  Offerings  of 
calico,  of  beadwork,  water,  milk,  or  honey,  were  sent  to  each  of 
the  royal  tombs  in  the  country,  and  at  the  same  time  a  sheaf 
of  spears,  which  remained  lying  there  for  forty-eight  hours, 
to  give  these  dignitaries  of  the  other  world  time  to  bless 
them. 

On  the  8th,  Lewanika  left  his  capital  by  canoe,  camped  at 
Mongu,  completed  his  religious  ceremonies  at  the  tomb  of 
Katonga,  and  on  Monday  he  came  and  encamped  on  the  other 
side  of  the  stream  of  Sefula  with  six  or  seven  hundred  men. 
As  he  had  notified  us  in  time,  we  all  went  to  the  foot  of  the 
slope  to  see  his  army  march  past.  The  dreary  sound  of  the 
drum,  and  that  of  the  bells  which  are  used  for  bugles,  soon 
announced  its  approach.  First,  we  perceived  through  the  trees 
a  file  of  young  men,  carrying  as  standards  the  famous  con- 
secrated assegais,  and  shining  with  ochre.  At  their  head, 
solemnly  marched  an  aged  man,  and  a  young  girl,  of  whom  I 
will  speak  presently.  Behind  them,  came  the  king,  the  Gambella, 
a  troop  of  people  curiously  got  up,  and  the  inoifo  (the  royal 
guard)  ;  then  the  camp-followers,  a  mob  of  men  of  all  ages, 
carrying  mats,  gourds,  clothes,  etc.,  marching  in  disorder,  and 
pouring  in  from  every  side  through  the  brushwood. 

The  young  girl  of  whom  I  have  spoken  is  not  the  sutler 
of  the  regiment :  she  is  the  Prophetess.  Chosen  by  the  divining 
bones,  she  is  the  interpreter  of  the  gods.  Nothing  can  be 
done  without  her.  She  carries  the  horn  containing  the  war 
"  medicines  "  and  charms.  She  is  always  ahead  of  the  vanguard, 
and  no  one  is  permitted  to  pass  before  her,  even  when  a  halt 
is  called.  If  she  gets  tired  or  falls  ill,  the  young  men  have 
to  carry  her.  On  arriving  before  the  enemy,  it  is  she  who  must 
fire  the  first  shot ;  and  all  the  time  the  battle  lasts,  she  may 
neither  sleep  nor  sit,  eat  nor  drink.     When    a  halt  is  called, 


304  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

she  lays  down  her  horn  ;  the  young  men  of  her  bodyguard  strike 
the  sacred  spears  into  the  ground.  "  Tu  ka  yoye,  bakuetu"  she 
cries  ;  and  her  followers  cry,  "  Tu  ka  yoye."  And  the  whole 
army,  at  a  respectable  distance,  acclaims  them  with  the  whole 
force  of  its  lungs,  "  Tukayoye!  Tu  ka yoyc!"  ("Fellow-country- 
men, may  we  live  long !  May  our  countrymen  live  !  ").  She 
takes  up  the  cry  once  more,  "  Ba  kafe!"  and  her  followers  and 
the  troops  roar,  "  Ba  ka  fe  !  Ba  ka  fe  !  "  ("  May  our  enemies 
perish  ! ").  It  is  the  war-cry  which  the  echoes  of  the  wood 
repeat  twenty  times  a  day  for  whole  months  together.  On  their 
return,  as  a  reward  for  her  services,  the  young  prophetess  will 
become  one  of  the  inaori,  or  wives  of  the  king.  Now  she  is 
his  concubine.  Her  title  is  the  sebivibz,  and  she  carries  the 
likurume  (the  medicine  horn). 

When  the  halt  had  been  called,  according  to  the  rules  I  have 
described,  Lewanika  and  the  great  chiefs  came  to  salute  us. 
While  we  were  talking,  a  commotion,  which  seemed  to  be 
upsetting  the  whole  camp,  attracted  my  attention.  It  was  Litia 
himself,  the  king's  son,  with  all  the  boys  and  all  the  young  men 
going  out  to  war  for  the  first  time,  who  were  now  running  at 
full  speed,  plunging  into  the  marsh  and  plucking  rushes,  which 
they  came  and  laid  at  the  king's  feet,  then  retiring  and  returning 
to  the  charge  without  taking  breath,  crying  out  "  Kamarie  !  " 
(literally,  "  a  young  girl ")  ;  that  is  to  say,  "  You  think  we  are 
girls  unfit  for  war  ;  well !  you  shall  see  that  we  are  men,  and 
despise  fatigue."  It  seems  this  little  comedy  is  repeated  at 
every  halt. 

The  sebinibi  gave  the  signal  for  departure,  entered  the 
water,  and  sprinkled  herself.  The  whole  army  acclaimed  her 
loudly,  rose,  and  followed  her  example.  We  had  it  encamped 
at  the  distance  of  a  gunshot  from  us  during  two  days.  What 
a  rabble !  And  to  think  that  it  will  roll  on  like  a  snowball. 
Since  then,  bands  pass  incessantly,  and  go  to  swell  this  over- 
flowing torrent.  I  suppose  that  when  the  contingents  of 
Motulo,  Nalolo,  Mboela,  and  the  province  of  Sesheke  are 
assembled  at  Machile,  Lewanika  will  find  himself  at  the  head 
of  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  men  at  least.  Can  you  imagine 
what  this  multitude  of  famished  men  means— for  they  have  no 
commissariat — thieves,  pillagers,  brigands  by  habit^  unbridled 
and  uncontrolled?      For   their  subsistence,  they  are   going   to 


iS88]  LEWANIKA'S   CONSCIENCE  30$ 

make  a  descent  on  their  poor  Makalaka  ;  and  already,  in  their 
own  country,  "  terror  goes  before  them,  destruction  accompanies 
them,  and  desolation  follows  them."  What  will  it  be  for  the 
unfortunate  Mashukulumboe  ?  It  is  not  only  their  cattle  they 
are  after,  but  also  their  women  and  children,  who  will  be  reduced 
to  the  most  abject  slavery.  As  for  the  men,  their  business 
is  soon  despatched,  and  they  are  thrown  out  for  the  beasts 
of  the  field  to  devour.  It  is  said  that  the  Mashukulumboe, 
when  exasperated,  give  no  more  quarter  than  the  Barotsi 
themselves,  and  that  they  keep  the  skulls  of  those  who  fall  into 
their  hands  to  drink  beer  out  of. 

Our  school  is  broken  up.  All  our  pupils  are  gone  after 
the  quarry— alas  !  to  complete  their  dreadful  apprenticeship  to 
brigandage.  It  seemed  to  us  that  their  education  had  been 
already  pretty  thorough,  for,  after  having  eaten  our  sheep,  killed 
our  asses,  and  stolen  my  aneroid  barometers,  they  contrived  to 
bribe  one  of  our  little  girls  and  to  appropriate  our  best  table 
napkins,  without  counting  a  thousand  and  one  other  exploits  of 
which  these  light-fingered  gentry  boast  themselves.  And  yet, 
we  regret  them.  We  think  sadly  of  the  months  they  have 
passed  here,  and  the  little  influence  we  have  gained  over  them. 
We  are  under  no  illusions  about  the  zeal  they  promise  to  bring 
to  their  work  when  they  come  back  to  school.  We  also  know 
the  value  of  Lewanika's  fine  promises.  Poor  Lewanika  !  Aaron, 
too,  has  spoken  to  him  with  the  virile  firmness  of  a  Micaiah. 
He  knows  very  well  he  is  doing  wrong.  During  our  last  inter- 
view, he  wriggled  about  on  his  chair,  and  ended  by  saying, 
"Don't  you  see,  my  Moruti,  I  am  not  my  own  master?  I  am 
driven  to  it — I  am  driven  to  it !  But  if  you  love  me,  keep 
silence  ;  do  not  go  and  spoil  my  good  name  in  the  world  by 
writing  that  Lewanika  has  gone  to  make  a  raid  on  the  Mashu- 
kulumboe ;  and  when  I  return,  you  will  see." 

Ah !  but  the  thought  of  this  return  makes  us  tremble.  Who 
can  foretell  the  moral — or  rather  let  us  say  the  immoral — con- 
sequences of  these  five  or  six  months  of  national  licentiousness, 
the  letting  loose  of  passions  among  all  these  savage  tribes,  and 
that  terrible  frenzy  which  takes  possession  of  man  from  the 
moment  he  embrues  his  hands  in  his  brother's  blood,  and 
transforms  him  into  a  wild  beast,  a  hyaena  that  laughs  as  it  tears 
its  prey  ? 

20 


306  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

March  i-^^ih — 22nd. 

Lewanika,  while  draining  the  country  for  his  expedition,  has 
by  no  means  taken  all  the  thieves  with  him.  Lately,  on  a  dark 
night,  some  of  these  vagabonds  paid  us  the  honour  of  a  visit ; 
they  made  a  breach  in  our  kraal  (stockade),  and  took  out  an 
ox  of  their  own  selection,  which  they  killed  and  dismembered 
at  leisure.  Out  of  courtesy,  they  left  us  the  skeleton,  but  it  had 
been  picked  as  clean  as  if  a  cloud  of  vultures  had  been  included 
in  the  party.  The  king  heard  of  it,  and  in  his  indignation  sent 
and  authorised  me  to  seize  the  knaves,  and  have  them  soundly 
taken  to  task — by  whom  I  don't  know  !  All  very  well,  only  he 
forgot  that  these  gentlemen  are  not  in  the  habit  of  leaving  any 
address. 

The  queen,  Mokwae,  one  or  two  of  the  king's  principal  wives, 
and  other  princesses,  have  come  from  Nalolo  and  from  Lealuyi 
to  make  a  little  stay  here,  accompanied  by  the  old  Narubutu. 
It  was  kind  of  them,  for  they  thought,  in  the  king's  absence,  we 
should  be  dull,  and  not  know  what  to  do  with  ourselves.  They 
consoled  me  for  the  theft  of  my  ox  by  saying,  "  Just  like  the 
Barotsi ;  the  Barotsi  are  made  that  way  ;  you  don't  know  them 
yet."    A  charming  prospect  for  our  future  connexion,  is  it  not  ? 

Since  he  has  been  on  the  march,  Lewanika  has  kept  us 
regularly  informed  of  his  movements  ;  his  messengers  cross  one 
another.  It  is  quite  a  new  amusement  for  him  to  send  us  little 
notes,  to  tell  us  that  his  horse  is  lame,  that  he  has  forgotten  to 
ask  me  for  such  and  such  a  medicine,  that  his  army  has  passed 
such  a  river,  etc, ;  for  now  he  has  a  secretary  of  state — nay,  two. 
They  are  our  poor  prodigals  Karumba  and  Seajika,  whom  he 
has  promoted  to  this  new  dignity.  He  has  them  about  him 
to  teach  him  to  read,  to  pray  to  the  missionaries'  God  in  case 
of  necessity,  to  scribble  messages,  to  keep  him  informed  of  the 
price  of  merchandise  in  the  countries  they  have  visited  in  their 
journeys,  to  tell  him  the  value  of  the  coins  he  has  a  fancy  for 
getting  hold  of,  and  to  assist  him  in  his  commercial  transactions. 
The  king  makes  rapid  progress.  Already  he  knows  the  whole 
alphabet,  which  he  considers  a  great  triumph  ;  he  always  carries 
in  his  pocket,  carefully  wrapped  up,  the  two  A  B  C's  I  have 
given  him.  He  also  knows  that  a  sheep  sells  for  twenty-five 
shillings  at  Mangwato,  a  head  of  cattle  for  £\o,  while  trade 
goods  are  going  for  almost  nothing.     I  do  not  yet  know  what 


iS88]  THE   LOYAL   TAHALLMA  307 

sort  of  character  our  two  young  renegades  are  giving  of  the 
Gospel  and  of  us.  We  stand  pretty  well  at  court ;  they  them- 
selves cannot  altogether  do  without  us.  The  time  has  not  yet 
come  to  run  us  down  openly.  It  would  be  bad  policy.  The 
king  loads  them  with  favours.  Seajika  has  already  received  the 
present  of  a  wife.  Karumba  is  going  to  have  one  of  his  own. 
On  the  return  from  the  expedition,  they  will  have  cattle,  slaves, 
villages,  at  last !  .  .  .  Now  they  are  fairly  launched.  May  God 
have  pity  on  them  ! 

The  last  messengers  from  the  king  bring  us  sad  news  of 
Sesheke.  You  will  have  had  it  from  a  better  source.  Here  in 
a  few  words  is  what  we  have  learnt.  You  remember  Sekabenga, 
who  occupied  the  post  of  Morantsiane  at  the  time  of  our  arrival  in 
the  country,  and  who  had  fled  since  the  Restoration.  Threatened 
with  the  same  fate  as  the  unfortunate  Tatira  (or  Akufuna),  the 
creature  of  the  revolutionary  chief  Mathaha,  he  had  made 
common  cause  with  him,  and  ended  by  finding  an  asylum  with 
Sagitema,  a  petty  chief  of  the  independent  Batoka,  on  the  confines 
of  the  Mashukulumboe  country.  There,  his  party  was  increased 
by  all  the  malcontents  who  fled  from  the  despotism  of  Kabuku, 
his  successor.  Even  in  exile,  these  people,  hunted  down  like 
wild  beasts,  had  a  semblance  of  a  court.  Tatira  was  king ;  he 
had  his  drums  and  his  little  ceremonial.  He  soon  found  a  rival 
in  Karorongoe,  a  quite  insignificant  young  man,  but  one  of 
royal  blood  likewise,  who  had  joined  the  revolutionary  party. 
Karorongoe  hatched  a  plot,  murdered  Tatira,  sold  his  old  mother 
to  some  Makupakupc  in  exchange  for  ammunition,  and  from 
that  time  was  recognised  as  king  without  opposition.  All  was 
settled.  Nevertheless,  it  is  the  Morantsiane  who  is  the  soul  of 
the  party.  In  spite  of  his  fall  and  his  disgrace,  he  is  more 
popular  than  ever.  Not  only  have  the  Batoka  lodged  him, 
hid  him,  and  saved  his  life,  but  they  favoured  his  plans  of 
revenge.  Duly  warned  by  secret  intelligence  when  Lewanika 
started  on  his  campaign,  the  Morantsiane  and  Karorongoe 
mE.de  their  appearance  at  Sesheke  suddenly  and  in  broad 
daylight.  At  first,  they  were  taken  for  warriors,  passing  through 
on  their  way  to  join  Lcwanika's  arm)'.  The  old  Tahalima  came 
out  to  salute  them,  followed  by  one  of  his  sons  and  an  attendant. 
At  the  sight  of  the  Morantsiane,  he  stood  quite  dumbfounded. 
,' On    your    knees!      Clap    hands!       Acclaim    the    king,"    they 


308  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1888 

shouted  to  him.  "  It  is  our  turn  to-day."  "  I  only  acclaim 
Lewanika,"  replied  the  chief,  with  his  ordinary  dignity.  "  Where 
is  he  ?  "  Upon  that,  insults,  assegais,  and  clubs  rained  down 
upon  him  and  his  followers,  and  in  a  moment  their  mutilated 
corpses  writhed  in  the  last  struggles  of  a  horrible  death. 

Lewanika,  hearing  this  news,  retraced  his  steps,  and  directed 
them  to  Sesheke.  But  they  say  the  Morantsiane  has  already 
crossed  the  river.  In  that  case,  what  will  Lewanika  do  ?  Will 
he  renounce  his  expedition  ? — or  will  he  leave  the  country  to  the 
mercy  of  this  desperate  band  ?  ,  .  .  The  great  province  of  Sesheke 
is  bound  by  a  mere  thread  to  the  kingdom  of  the  Barotsi. 
The  latter,  considerably  reduced  by  their  wars  and  their  con- 
tinual massacres,  are  hated  by  the  Batoka,  and  reviled  by  all 
the  tribes  whom  they  oppress.  Lewanika's  lax  policy  of  laisser- 
aller,  and  the  ineptitude  of  his  nephew  Kabuku,  whom  he  has 
promoted  to  one  of  the  most  important  and  difficult  posts, 
have  irritated  all  minds.  It  only  needs  the  man  of  the  hour 
to  bring  about  an  irremediable  rupture.  Lewanika  knows  all 
that.  An  energetic  measure  might  yet  save  the  situation  ;  but 
it  demands  a  firmness,  a  determination,  which  he  does  not 
possess.  The  greybeards  who  ought  to  form  the  council  of  his 
nation  have  all  been  killed  off,  with  one  or  two  exceptions. 
Their  places  are  occupied  by  young  men,  for  whom  governing 
means  brigandage  carried  on  wholesale  and  for  private  ends. 
No  tie  binds  them  together  ;  they  all  bear  grudges  against 
each  other.  The  king  himself  distrusts  his  chiefs,  as  the  chiefs 
distrust  the  king.  But  God,  who  has  sent  His  Gospel  of  peace 
and  love  to  this  barbarous  people,  certainly  has  purposes  of 
mercy  towards  them.  We  judge  of  things  from  the  human 
point  of  view,  finite  and  subject  to  all  sorts  of  influences.  God 
reigns  ;  He  watches  over  the  interests  of  a  nation  with  no  less 
solicitude  than  over  the  development  of  a  plant.  Out  of  chaos 
He  will  bring  order  ;  out  of  darkness,  light.     Post  tenebras  lux. 

Sefula,  April  2^ih,  1888, 
You  have  no  idea  how  people  invent  things  in  this  wretched 
country.  The  story  got  abroad  that  they  had  completely 
pillaged  us  and  burnt  our  houses,  and  that  we  had  taken  refuge 
in  a  neighbouring  hamlet,  bereft  of  all  resources,  and  even  of 
clothing.     Lewanika  hastened  to  send  me  an  express,  requesting 


i888]  A   PROSPECT  OF   PILLAGE  309 

me  to  proceed  to  his  camp  with  my  wife,  and  saying  that  on 
his  return  he  would  reinstate  us  at  Sefula !  It  is  vexatious 
that,  at  a  time  when  the  atmosphere  is  so  charged  with  electricity, 
the  idea  should  have  been  circulated  that  we  could  be  pillaged 
and  burned.  That  does  not  tend  to  inspire  us  with  much 
sense  of  security.  If  ever  we  arc  pillaged  and  maltreated,  it 
will  be  by  slaves,  to  the  profit  of  their  chiefs,  as  usual.  But  we 
are  not  uneasy  on  that  point ;  we  have  other  cares  :  the  greatest 
of  all  is  the  loss  of  our  oxen.  How  bring  our  provisions  from 
Sesheke  ?  And  yet,  we  must  have  them.  We  are  short  of 
everything.  And  these  losses,  and  these  difficulties,  will  they 
discourage  our  friends  ?  But  God  will  grant  to  each  of  us 
not  merely  to  hold  on,  but  to  go  from  slrengt/i  TO  STRENGTH. 
If  the  life  here  is  a  struggle  every  day,  it  is  also  a  daily  lesson 
of  unreserved  confidence  in  God. 

We  are  passing  through  one  of  those  periods — should  I 
call  it  a  crisis  ? — when  faith  is  a  combat  at  every  instant,  and 
when  very  often  courage  is  no  more  than  a  smoking  flax. 
Material  labours,  with  their  incessant  fatigues  and  their 
gnawing  cares,  crush  us  down.  Nevertheless,  we  must  install 
ourselves,  however  precariously.  We  feel  that  life  is  passing 
without  our  having  the  satisfaction  of  doing  much.  But  do 
not  think  that  I  am  pitying  myself  or  complaining.  A  French 
general  once  told  his  aide-de-camp  that  the  politeness  of  a 
soldier  was  obedience.  And  I  myself  hold  that,  in  all  circum- 
stances, our  duty  towards  our  Master  is  fidelity.  The  witness, 
too,  of  a  good  conscience  is  a  great  thing,  and  I  understand 
better  and  better  why  St.  Paul  returns  to  it  so  often  in  his 
letters  to  Timothy. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

The  Return  of  the  Army — Its  Reception  at  the  Capital — Distribution  of  Loot 
— "  She  " — Death  of  Dr.  Dardier  and  the  Jallas'  Baby — Reflections  and 
Hardships — The  Basuto  Evangelists— The  Spirit  of  Missions — The 
King's  Diplomatic  Illness — Divining  Bones — Blossoms  in  the  Desert — 
Nguana-Ngombe's  Confession  of  Faith — Visit  of  Mr.  Selous — "Lost 
Whites." 

Sefula,  August  ^th,  1888. 

WHILE  we  were  having  school  in  the  courtyard,  our 
friend  Waddell  ran  up  breathless,  and  cried  to  us  from 
the  end  of  the  house,  "  The  post ! "  The  post !  Is  it  true  ? 
With  one  bound,  I  am  on  the  verandah,  where  three  strapping 
fellows  from  Sesheke  are  setting  down  their  bags,  the  first 
mail  which  has  reached  us  since  September  1887.  The  oldest 
dates  are  of  one  year,  the  most  recent  of  only  four  months. 
Sefula  is  not  the  ends  of  the  earth,  after  all  ! 

The  king  has  at  last  returned.  His  expedition  against  the 
Mashukulumboe  has  lasted  five  months — five  weary  months — 
while  here,  as  in  the  time  of  the  Judges,  "  there  was  no  king, 
and  each  man  did  what  was  right  in  his  own  eyes."  The 
thieves  had  a  fine  time  of  it  ;  the  women  found  it  difficult 
to  make  their  slaves  obey  them.  They  themselves,  at  such 
times,  are  not  at  liberty  to  leave  their  villages  to  visit  parents 
or  friends.  They  dare  not  even  cut  their  hair.  They  plait 
and  curl  it — all  to  no  purpose ;  it  is  a  swarming  forest, 
uncomfortable  even  for  themselves ;  and  in  order  to  carry  on 
effective  warfare,  they  introduce  unlucky  beetles,  which  they 
keep  captive  there,  and  which  die  miserably. 

The  arrival  of  the  expedition  was  ill-timed,  for  the  moon 
was  waning  ;  and  woe  betide  the  man  who,  returning  from  a 
journey  or  from  hunting,  dare  return  to  his  own  hearth  when 
"  the  moon  is  going  out " !  The  king  therefore  camped  in  the 
fields  until   the  new  moon,  and   then  made  his   entry  into  the 

310 


i888]  THE   RETURN   OF   THE   ARMY  3II 

capital.  The  whole  population  of  both  sexes  had  come  together 
there  for  this  occasion,  and  I  leave  you  to  imagine  how  noisy 
the  reception  was.  I  saw  something  of  it.  It  is  true  that,  in 
spite  of  his  importunities,  I  abstained  from  going  to  see  him 
in  his  camp,  when  he  passed  quite  close  to  us  ;  but  later  on 
I  went  to  spend  a  few  days  with  him  at  Lcaluyi.  Mokwaci 
arrived  there  soon  after  ;  and  not  at  all  tficogiiito,  I  assure  you. 
It  was  a  Sunday,  and  we  had  already  had  a  service — that  is  to 
say,  a  preaching.  Happily,  it  was  over,  for  the  whole  village 
was  soon  in  a  ferment. 

All  the  women  of  the  capital  have  gone  to  meet  the  queen, 
and  have  swelled  her  procession  ;  while  the  men,  each  with  his 
peers  and  under  his  chief,  are  massed  in  different  groups  on 
the  public  square.  And  of  course  the  drums  and  scrluibas,  so 
beloved  by  the  Barotsi,  must  all  be  there,  tintinnabulating  as 
usual.  What  would  these  good  people  say  to  our  European 
hurdygurdies,  big  drums,  and  kettledrums  ? 

The  procession  slowly  advances,  and  arrives  ;  Mokwae  lead- 
ing it,  garbed  in  gaily  coloured  print :  she  herself  performs 
recitatives,  to  which  the  troops  of  women  escorting  her  respond 
in  chorus.  It  is  the  praises  of  the  king  that  they  are  singing  ; 
and  I  must  say  that  these  chants,  mournful  though  they  be, 
like  all  the  songs  of  our  poor  Africans,  are  not  devoid  of 
harmony.  The  men  acclaim  her,  one  group  after  another, 
prostrating  themselves,  and  clapping  their  hands.  And  this 
noise  goes  on  for  an  hour, — without  any  confusion,  however ;  all 
is  perfectly  decorous.  The  women  will  resume  their  performance 
at  sunset ;  and  Mokwae,  always  the  leader  {coryphee),  will  sing 
with  them  all  night.  Meanwhile,  at  an  order  from  the  king, 
she  retires  to  the  spacious  court  of  her  own  hoine.  The 
chants  have  ceased  ;  and  the  court  now  rises  in  due  form. 
Levvanika  invites  me  to  accompany  him  to  his  levee.  I 
quickly  shake  hands  with  his  Majesty,  and  sit  down  close 
to  the  mat  where  he  is  enthroned.  Lewanika  kneels  down  ; 
Mokwae  does  the  same  :  they  kiss  each  other  on  the  lips, 
take  both  each  other's  hands,  and  keep  spitting  upon  one 
another  ;  while  the  women  of  Mokwae's  suite,  well  greased  with 
ochre  and  loaded  with  beads,  ranged  against  the  courtyard 
wall,  repeat  in  cadence,  "  Yo-s/io !  Yo-sho!''  in  a  ininor  key, 
which  thrills  through  one.     Then  come  the  children  and  near 


312  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i8S3 

relatives,  who  enjoy  the  privilege  of  being  spat  upon  by  royalty  ; 
then  the  dignitaries,  those  highly  placed  personages  who  have 
a  right  to  the  privilege  of  kissing  the  king's  and  queen's  hand, 
when  they  visit  them  ;  then  the  middle  class,  who  keep  them- 
selves at  a  distance,  and  the  common  people  outside  the  court, 
clapping  hands  with  the  greatest  solemnity. 

But  the  sun  is  sinking  :  the  ceremonies  are  cut  short,  and  at 
my  request  the  public  crier  convokes  an  assembly  which  is 
double  that  of  the  morning.  I  preach  on  Gal.  vi.  7  :  "  God  is 
not  mocked  :  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also 
reap."  While  I  interceded  with  God  on  behalf  of  this  blood- 
thirsty nation,  it  was  my  duty  publicly  to  denounce  an  expedi- 
tion which  Lewanika  himself  calls  an  act  of  brigandage,  and  I 
did  so.  There  shall  be  no  mistake  about  the  position  we  have 
taken  up.  Lewanika,  full  of  consideration  for  his  missionaries, 
had  sent  to  our  friends  at  Sesheke  ten  head  of  cattle  he  had 
just  plundered,  of  which  two  were  delicately  offered  to  Mine. 
Jeanmairet,  "  our  daughter  "  ;  and  I  know  that  there  was  also 
a  little  herd  kept  back  for  us.  But  M.  Jeanmairet,  in  a  fine 
dignified  letter,  while  thanking  him  warmly,  set  forth  the 
reasons  why  neither  himself  nor  M.  Jalla  nor  Levi  could  as 
Christians  accept  such  a  present.  Did  Lewanika  expect  this 
refusal?  He  contented  himself  with  replying,  "I  understand: 
but  what  do  the  Barotsi  possess  that  they  have  not  obtained 
hy  pillage  and  robbery  ?  " 

The  number  of  cattle  captured  is  enormous.  We  are 
assured  that  more  died  on  the  way  than  arrived  here.  It  seems 
that  the  Mashukulumboe,  at  the  approach  of  their  enemies, 
drove  their  cattle  into  the  haunts  of  the  tse-tse.  The  kins 
has  reserved  considerable  flocks  (as  much  for  himself  as  for 
Mokwae  and  the  principal  members  of  his  family),  which  he 
has  scattered  through  the  country.  They  declare,  however,  that 
it  will  take  another  month  to  distribute  the  rest. 

What  makes  one's  heart  ache  is  the  young  women  and 
children  who  form  part  of  this  booty.  They  conceal  the 
number  from  me  ;  they  even  declare  that  the  king  had  given 
orders  only  to  attack  the  cattle.  But  the  truth  will  out.  Of 
men,  not  one  has  been  carried  off.  Walking  through  the  village, 
I  noticed  here  and  there  bundles  of  spears,  most  of  them  bent 
back — an  indubitable   sign   that   they  had  shed  human  blood. 


THE   CHIKFESS   NASHINTU  313 

Consequently,  they  had  to  be  purified.  The  Gambella  and  others 
of  my  acquaintance  ostentatiously  showed  me  their  sheaves  of 
weapons — none  of  them  bent.  "  They  arc  pure,"  said  they  : 
"  we  remembered  your  injunctions."  My  friend  Mahaha  even 
sent  me  a  similar  message  from  Sesheke.  Whatever  these,  asser- 
tions may  be  worth,  it  is  already  something  to  hear  a  Zambcsian 
boast  of  having  denied  himself  the  pleasure  of  disembowelling 
a  poor  Mashukulumboc.  The  king  himself  is  not  so  far  on  ; 
for,  seeing  me  come  in,  he  said,  trying  to  giggle,  "  Don't  begin 
to  scold  me,  if  they  tell  you  I  killed  a  man  with  my  own  hand." 
Alas  !  it  would  seem  he  had  killed  more  than  one.  VVhere- 
cver  the  Mashukulumboc  made  any  show  of  resistance,  he 
it  was  who  directed  the  attack  ;  then,  accompanied  by  some 
cavaliers,  set  off  in  pursuit  of  these  poor  creatures,  terrified 
by  the  firearms,  and  by  that  nameless  monster — a  quadruped 
surmounted  by  a  human  form.  Oh,  what  a  terrible  awaken- 
ing is  in  store  for  that  man,  when  the  Spirit  of  God  illuminates 
his  conscience  and  touches  his  heart !  In  this  raid,  Lewanika 
has,  however,  shown  some  magnanimity.  Not  only  has  he 
restored  their  liberty  to  several  women  captives  of  a  certain 
age,  but  also  their  cattle,  wives,  and  children  to  those  who  had 
courage  to  perform  an  act  of  submission. 

They  did  not  dare  to  attack  a  cJiiefess  named  Nashintu, 
whom  the  Makololo  had  once  made  prisoner,  but  afterwards 
liberated.  On  that  occasion,  they  contented  themselves  with 
keeping  her  only  son,  who  has  since  become  one  of  Lewanika's 
principal  workmen — and  ours  too,  when  occasion  requires.  This 
Samoinda,  like  all  the  Mashukulumboc  slaves,  has  distinguished 
himself  by  his  cruelty  towards  his  compatriots.  Nashintu, 
like  Mochache,^  exercises  power  by  means  of  her  medicines 
and  her  charms.  She  has  Pandora's  box  :  she  dispenses 
drought  and  hail,  calamities  and  epidemics,  at  will  ;  and,  shut 
up  in  an  urn,  she  keeps  the  terrible  scourge  of  small-pox. 
Finally,  she  possesses  what  many  ladies  of  the  great  world 
would  envy — the  secret  of  perpetual  youth. 

You   will    be   surprised   to    learn    that,   in   this   expedition, 

Lewanika    has    scrupulously    observed    the    Lord's    Da)-  !       He 

kept   about   his   person  our   two   poor   renegades  Seajika   and 

Karumba,  to  teach  him  to  read.     (Did  I  tell  you  he  had  sent  for 

'  See  l^art  I.,  piige  i"]. 


314  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

them  from  Mambova  last  year  ?)  He  made  them  his  Baruti 
(missionaries),  just  as  he  appoints  his  scuUions.  Their  duties  are 
to  pray,  sing  hymns,  ^x\^  preacJi  !  And  to  make  them  the  more 
worthy  of  their  office,  he  deprives  them  of  intoxicating  drinks. 
This  still  goes  on  at  Lealuyi.  Thus  these  two  unfortunate 
young  men  find  themselves  in  the  most  equivocal  position. 
They  have  not  the  moral  courage  to  confess  that  they  are 
not  qualified  to  preach  truths  which  they  belie  by  their  return 
to  paganism,  and  by  an  immoral  life  known  to  all  the  com- 
munity, while  their  consciences  accuse  them  no  less  than  our 
presence.  One  need  really  be  an  African  to  play  and  sustain 
such  an  impossible  role.  The  king,  astonished  at  uiy  astonish- 
ment, asked  me,  "  What  were  we  to  do  on  Sunday,  which  we 
wished  to  observe,  when  you  were  not  there  ?  These  boys  know 
more  about  it  than  we  do,  and  I  rebuke  them  and  send  them 
away  when  they  have  drunk  too  much.  Can  they  preach 
wrong  things  to  us  ?  " 

The  case  requires  prudence,  simple  as  it  may  seem.  We 
are  too  far  from  the  capital  for  me  to  go  there  regularly  and 
often.  If  we  had  established  ourselves  nearer — at  Kanyonyo, 
which  was  not  possible — the  difficulty  would  have  been  just 
the  same.  It  is  in  the  actual  village  of  the  capital  that  we 
ought  to  be, — an  absolute  impossibility  from  the  sanitary  point 
of  view,  and  no  less  impossible  from  the  practical  and  economical 
standpoint ;  for  the  Barotsi  do  not  live  all  the  year  in  the 
Valley  ;  they  go  and  settle  upon  the  heights  around  at  the 
time  of  the  floods.  And  then  they  readily  change  their  place 
of  residence.  What  would  solve  this  difficulty  and  many 
others  would  be  to  have  a  band  of  devoted  evangelists.  But 
these  evangelists  we  have  not  got.  As  to  Karumba  and  Seajika, 
one  of  two  things  must  happen  :  either  they  or  Lewanika 
will  get  disgusted,  and  the  movement  will  collapse  of  its  own 
accord  ;  or  else  the  movement  will  develop,  and  they  will  feel 
their  weakness,  they  will  repent  and  return  to  their  God.  But 
how  much  greater  would  have  been  our  confidence  and  joy,  if 
their  repentance  and  return  had  been  the  starting-point  and 
motive  of  their  activity !  Let  us  not  despair.  God  makes  use 
of  singular  instruments  sometimes,  and  it  will  not  be  the  first 
time  that  the  Gospel  has  converted  the  very  people  who  preached 
it  in  their  own  fashion,  without  knowing  it  experimentally. 


i888]  DEATH   OF   DR.   DARDIER  315 

I  speak  of  a  band  of  evangelists  whom  wc  need  ;  and  alas  ! 
we  have  to  record  a  loss  among  those  wc  had.  Our  young 
doctor,  M.  Dardier,  is  dead.  Poor  young  fellow  !  he  did  so 
enjoy  his  first  canoe  voyage.  I  can  see  him  now,  during  a  halt, 
jumping  into  one  of  our  launches,  and  triumphantly  reaching 
the  open  water,  in  spite  of  protestations  from  our  crew,  who, 
in  their  heart  of  hearts,  enjoyed  this  exuberance  of  youth.  One 
day,  close  to  Nalolo,  as  I  told  you,  while  we  were  taking  our 
frugal  repast  on  the  bank,  he  suddenly  cried  out,  "  How  hot 
the  sun  is !  " — putting  his  hand  to  the  nape  of  his  neck.  He 
got  back  into  the  boat,  and  a  sunshade  was  given  him — too 
late  !  He  was  already  suffering  from  the  effects  of  a  sun- 
stroke. We  did  all  we  could  for  him,  but  he  went  from  bad 
to  worse.  Alarming  symptoms  soon  revealed  an  affection  of 
the  heart.  He  conceived  a  repugnance  to  Sefula,  and  could 
think  of  nothing  but  a  prompt  departure.  But  nothing  is 
prompt  in  this  country.  He  reached  Sesheke,  where  also  every 
care  was  bestowed  on  him.  After  a  transient  improvement,  he 
grew  worse  again,  and  hastened  to  leave  Sesheke.  He  had 
already  crossed  the  Zambesi  at  Kazungula,  where  I  had  met  him 
on  his  arrival  from  Europe  a  few  months  before,  and  was  the 
guest  of  Mr.  Westbeech,  when  death  overtook  him.  Thus  was 
cut  short  at  the  outset  this  career,  on  which  we  had  founded  so 
many  hopes.  The  loss  to  his  family  is  shared  by  the  friends 
of  missions  :  it  is  our  loss  too.  It  will  probably,  but  wrongly, 
be  a  black  mark  for  the  Zambesi  climate,  which  was  beginning 
to  reinstate  itself  in  public  opinion.  Will  it  put  an  extinguisher 
on  any  newly  kindled  vocations  for  medical  mission  work.' 

1  Dr.  Dardier,  of  Geneva,  was  the  only  medical  missionary  the  Barotsi 
Mission  has  ever  possessed,  and  the  first  F^uropean  to  lay  down  liis  life  in  its 
service.  Hitherto  the  only  victims  had  been  its  native  helpers :  three  adults 
and  three  children.  Now  it  was  to  be  the  turn  of  the  white  people :  Dr. 
Dardier  a  few  months  after  his  arrival,  four  little  children  in  succession, 
Mme.  Coillard  in  1891,  and  M.  Goy  in  1896.  The  last  named  came  out  in 
1887,  originally  with  the  intention  of  devoting  himself  to  agriculture  and  other 
industrial  work  in  the  interests  of  the  mission ;  but  as  soon  as  he  knew  the 
language,  he  began  to  evangelise;  and  after  his  marriage  with  Mile.  Keck  in 
1890,  he  took  charge  of  the  Sesheke  station,  vacated  by  the  Jeanmairets. 
During  this  year  (1897),  two  more  victims  have  been  claimed— Theodore,  a 
Basuto  evangelist,  and  the  only  child  of  M.  and  Mme.  A.  Jaila  :  tluis  bringing 
the  total  number  up  to  fifteen. 


3l6  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

This  dark  cloud  is  not  the  only  one  that  has  shadowed  our  sky. 
M.  and  Mme.  Louis  Jalla  will  have  told  you  that  it  has  pleased 
God  to  consecrate  their  ministry  through  affliction,  by  taking 
back  the  child  He  had  given  them.  Mr.  Middleton  has  finally 
left  us.  Levi,  the  evangelist,  too,  can  stand  it  no  longer.  It 
is  now  a  long  time  since  he  wrote  to  me,  "  For  seven  months 
past,  my  wife  has  not  left  her  room,  scarcely  even  her  bed." 
The  poor  man  is  nothing  but  a  sick-nurse.  He  wishes  to  go 
back  to  his  country  for  good,  and  we  must  from  this  year  take 
measures  with  that  object.  Aaron  is  still  one  of  us ;  but  his 
departure  is  only  a  question  of  time,  and  time  shortly  to  expire. 
He  too  finds  life  hard  at  the  Zambesi. 

And  for  whom  is  it  not  hard  ?  The  school  of  renunciation 
puts  us  under  a  discipline  against  which  our  old  nature  is 
always  ready  to  rebel.  One  could  accept  willingly,  even  joy- 
fully, for  oneself,  the  privations  which  it  goes  hard  with  one 
to  endure  for  one's  own.  To  pass  months  without  a  drop  of 
milk  for  the  household,  without  a  morsel  of  meat ;  and  to  depend 
entirely  upon  a  rapidly  disappearing  web  of  calico  for  the 
obtaining  of  a  stringy  fowl,  which,  but  for  its  toughness,  one 
could  eat,  feathers  and  all,  at  one  mouthful  ;  fish  that  will  not 
keep,  and  that  one  soon  sickens  of;  and  the  vegetables  of  the 
country,  millet  or  insipid  manioc, — all  this  is  not  cheerful,  it  must 
be  confessed,  especially  where  there  are  children.  The  little  flock 
I  brought  has  melted  away,  cows  and  all,  without  our  having 
profited  by  it  the  least  bit  in  the  world.  At  Sefula,  we  are 
all  on  the  same  rations ;  and  we  generally  share  whatever 
we  can  buy  to  vary  our  diet.  But  our  friend  Aaron  has  to 
struggle  against  other  trials  peculiar  to  himself  He  has  a 
daughter  of  fourteen,  to  whom  he  is  ambitious  of  giving 
an  education  which  even  Basuto-land  could  not  afford  her. 
And  lo  and  behold  !  the  royal  family  has  taken  into  its  head  that 
she  shall  be  the  wife  of  Litia,  the  heir-apparent.  The  Barotsi 
will  never  acknowledge  themselves  beaten,  and  in  this  matter 
they  exhibit  an  exasperating  persistence.  Aaron,  whose  respect 
for  them  is  no  greater  than  it  need  be,  is  going  to  send  his 
daughter  to  Mangwato,  and  has  signified  his  intention  of  soon 
returning  to  his  country. 

Levi  and  Aaron  are  men  with  whom,  as  with  ourselves, 
there   is  no  need  of  a  microscope  to  discover  the  flaws.     But 


BAROTSI    EXCLUSIVENESS  317 

they  both  possess,  each  in  his  own  wa}^,  qualities  which  make 
them  valuable  helpers,  and  we  shall  find  it  difficult  to  get  better 
ones.  I  confess  that  for  me  it  is  a  severe  trial.  Shall  we  ever 
have  any  other  Basuto  evangelists  ?  I  have  said,  "  If  Africa 
is  ever  to  be  evangelised,  it  must  be  by  her  own  children." 
I  counted  on  the  Christian  Basuto.  As  evangelists,  I  have 
always  recognised  in  them  special  aptitudes  which  we  Europeans 
do  not  possess.  Their  social  and  intellectual  level  brings  them 
nearer  than  ourselves  to  the  people  we  are  evangelising.  Were 
we  mistaken  then  ?  No.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  working  among 
the  Churches  of  Basuto-land,  and  we  know  that  there,  as  in 
France  and  everywhere  else,  the  spirit  of  life  is  the  missionary 
spirit.  If  distress  has  been  great  in  that  dear  little  country, 
it  is  not  endemic  there.  The  day  will  come,  perhaps  it  is  not 
far  off,  when  the  Basuto  Christians  will  feel  they  owe  a  debt  to 
these  tribes  of  the  Zambesi,  who  speak  their  tongue,  after  having 
borne  their  yoke — a  debt  which  no  one  can  discharge  for  them. 

Meanwhile,  who  is  to  do  the  work  ? 

We  have  a  perhaps  unique  opportunity  of  taking  "possession 
of  the  land."  All  the  chiefs,  with  few  exceptions,  seem  well 
disposed  ;  the  king  shows  a  great  desire  to  have  instruction 
for  himself,  and  for  the  tribes  he  governs — or,  to  speak  more 
accurately,  for  the  Barotsi  tribe  itself  How  long  will  this  good 
disposition  last,  if  they  are  not  converted  ?  I  have  before  me 
a  list  of  twenty  posts  of  evangelisation  which  we  ought  to 
occupy  as  soon  as  possible.  The  Barotsi  would  reserve  to 
themselves  the  monopoly  of  education  as  well  as  every  other 
monopoly,  and  that  is  why  a  day  school  open  to  all  classes 
will  encounter  great  difficulties  for  a  long  time  to  come.  But 
if  we  had  the  staff  and  the  means,  and  could  open  an  establish- 
ment for  boys,  and  one  for  girls,  we  should  at  once  have  such 
a  number  of  pupils  that  we  should  have  to  limit  them.  All 
would  submit  to  a  discipline  which  that  attending  circumcision 
would  enable  them  to  understand.  I  do  not  pretend  that  it 
would  be  the  easiest  work  in  the  world,  but  it  is  feasible.  To 
undertake  it,  we  should  need  a  specially  selected  and  experienced 
staff — men  and  women  who  would  give  themselves  unreservedly 
to  it,  with  all  the  physical  strength  they  enjoy,  all  the  talents 
they  possess,  all  the  force  of  their  fullest  love. 

For  the  moment,  the  king's  sons  and  nephews  are  coming 


3l8  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i88S 

back,  and  I  have  reason  to  believe  a  pretty  good  number  of  the 
sons  of  the  principal  chiefs  also.  For  some  time,  moreover, 
the  king  has  been  pressing  us  to  receive  Monde,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Mokwae.  She  will  not  come  alone.  But  these 
establishments,  with  a  crowd  of  slaves  of  both  sexes  over  whom 
we  have  not  the  slightest  control,  are  unspeakable  dens  of 
licentiousness.  And  how,  I  ask  you,  can  we  carry  on  the  school 
and  the  evangelisation,  and  at  the  same  time  face  the  multi- 
farious duties  that  make  incessant  claims  upon  our  time  and 
attention  ?  It  is  a  serious  thing  to  send  out  appeals,  above  all 
when  it  is  a  question  of  coming  to  these  climates.  The  Saviour 
has  shown  us  the  surest  way  :  "  Pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
to  send  forth  labourers  into  His  harvest." 

I  do  not  share  the  fears  of  certain  friends  who  think  that 
the  Zambesi  may  well  be  set  aside  for  the  French  Congo. 
That  may  be  a  wholesome  warning  for  our  supporters.  For  us, 
the  work  is  the  same,  wherever  it  may  be  carried  on.  There 
will  be  emulation,  not  rivalry,  between  us.  At  the  Congo — as  in 
Tahiti,  Senegal,  and  soon  in  Kabyle — we  have  the  explosion  of 
Christian  Protestant  patriotism,  so  long  suppressed  and  trodden 
down  by  the  ruling  authorities.  It  is  time  for  us  to  vindicate 
among  ourselves,  in  our  own  colonies,  the  right  to  serve  our 
country,  and  to  contest  with  Roman  Catholicism  the  monopoly 
of  patriotism  and  self-devotion,  which  she  wrongly  claims  for 
herself,  Rome  is  not  France,  any  more  than  it  is  the 
Gospel. 

But  in  the  Zambesi  Mission,  as  in  the  Basuto  Mission,  whose 
daughter  it  is,  we  have  the  manifestation  of  the  essentially 
catholic,  universal  character  of  heartfelt  Christianity.  Like  the 
Good  Samaritan,  without  any  human  calculations.  Christians, 
of  no  matter  what  country  or  denomination,  unite  their  sacrifices 
and  their  love  to  redeem  the  most  brutal  and  degraded  savages 
who  form  part  of  the  human  family.  Above  all  the  prejudices, 
interests,  and  flags  of  their  respective  nations,  together  they  set 
up  the  Cross,  and  spread  its  banner.  And  we,  children  of  the 
Huguenots,  Protestants  and  Frenchmen  to  our  heart's  core,  we 
who  have  initiated  this  great  work  of  elevation,  in  a  country 
where  no  European  power  protects  us,  say,  shall  we  be  putting 
France  to  shame  ?  Shall  we  be  denying  our  country,  or — will 
she  indeed  deny  us  ? 


ii>88]  A   DIl'LOMATIC   ILLNESS  319 

Sefula,  A7(gtist  iTih,  1888. 

For  some  weeks,  the  king  has  been  ill.  He  has  left  the 
kiiandu  (his  private  apartment),  and  has  secluded  himself  in  a  tent 
of  mats  which  they  have  raised  for  him  in  the  remotest  corner 
of  a  back  yard.  Apart  from  his  favourite  attendants,  no  one 
has  access  to  him,  not  even  his  ministers,  the  Gambella,  nor 
even  Mokwae,  his  sister,  so  afraid  are  these  poor  people  of  what 
they  call  "  bad  feet."  To  arrive  at  the  court  he  is  occupying, 
one  must  cross  three  others,  where  night  and  day  arc  found 
silent  groups  of  slaves.  The  principal  chiefs,  who  are  at  the 
capital,  pass  the  night  in  the  first,  and  in  the  second  his 
likoinboa,  the  most  important  members  of  the  staff  of  the  royal 
household.  The  third  is  reserved  for  his  intimates.  Men  pa.ss 
through  the  lekhotJUa  like  shadows,  without  stopping  ;  the  chiefs 
sit  there  for  a  few  moments  out  of  duty,  but  no  justice  is 
administered,  no  business  is  transacted,  no  one  speaks  above 
a  whisper.  The  evening  fires  are  no  longer  lighted,  the  drums 
are  silent  (those  beloved  drums,  how  surprised  they  must  be  to 
rest !).  No  one  dares  go  and  work  in  the  fields,  though  the 
season  urgently  demands  it ;  every  one  is  melancholy  and  sus- 
picious ;  fear  has  seized  upon  everybody.  It  was  thus  I  found 
Lealuyi  last  week,  when,  alarmed  at  the  turn  things  were  taking, 
I  betook  myself  thither  in  all  haste. 

Might  it  not  be  that  this  illness  was  only  a  pretext  for  attain- 
ing a  political  end — namely,  to  have  an  ostensibly  good  reason 
for  getting  rid  of  suspected  persons  ?  My  apprehensions,  alas  ! 
seem  to  be  only  too  well  founded.  It  is  neuralgia  that  the  king 
has,  affecting  half  his  face.  He  only  gives  orders  in  a  whisper 
to  the  people  crouching  round  his  door  ;  but  when  once  we  were 
alone  together,  he  could  chatter,  laugh,  and  in  short  let  himself 
go  as  he  always  does.  I  asked  him  how  it  was  that  the  divining 
bones  chose  precisely  his  own  favourites  to  have  free  access  to 
his  presence.  "  Pooh ! "  he  said  sharply,  "  the  divining  bones 
say  what  I  wish."  Evidently  they  do,  and  it  is  by  no  means 
reassuring. 

While  I  was  there,  I  was  able  to  induce  him  and  his  ministers, 
the  Gambella  and  the  Natamoyo,  to  make  some  overtures  to 
each  other.  Were  thcj'  sincere  ?  Wc  shall  soon  find  out.  The 
old  councillor,  Narubutu,  whose  portrait  I  have  sent  you,  is  laid 
up  at  the  same  time  as  Lewanika,  and  with  the  same  sort  of 


320  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i8S8 

malady.  I  administered  my  sedatives  with  so  much  assurance 
that  my  patients  confessed  to  a  real  improvement.  I  could  not, 
however,  persuade  Lewanika  to  leave  his  tent,  and  sit  in  the 
courtyard,  which  is  well  sheltered,  carpeted,  and  shaded  with 
mats.  It  is  whispered  that  a  plot  against  Lewanika  in  favour 
of  the  Morantsiane  has  been  discovered,  and  that  the  principal 
chiefs  of  the  Valley,  the  Gambella  at  their  head,  are  gravely 
compromised.  I  should  not  dare  to  deny  it ;  but  I  shudder 
at  the  thought  of  new  massacres.  I  think  Lewanika  will  not 
forget  the  conversations  we  have  had  during  the  four  days  I 
have  passed  with  him.  Oh,  if  only  I  could  inspire  him  with 
a  horror  of  bloodshed  !  What  I  cannot  do,  the  grace  of  God 
zvill  do.  There  are  great  contradictions  in  this  man.  He  is 
despotic,  vindictive,  and  as  cruel  as  possible  ;  yet,  with  all  that, 
he  has  good  sense,  tact,  generosity,  and  amiability.  I  could 
easily  draw  two  portraits  of  him,  which  would  have  nothing  in 
common.     There  is  more  than  one  Lewanika  in  the  world. 

I  said  some  time  ago  that  there  were  neither  flowers  nor 
fruits  at  Sefula.  Last  year,  on  my  return  from  Kazungula,  I 
found  that  all  my  eucalyptus  trees  had  perished  ;  and  this  year, 
if  we  still  have  a  score  struggling  on,  it  is  only  thanks  to  diligent 
watering.  A  single  seed  of  sweet  pea,  which  had  somehow  found 
its  way  here,  was  carefully  planted  and  barricaded  with  thorns, 
in  front  of  the  bedroom  window.  It  grew  ;  it  sent  forth  a 
flower — only  one  ;  but  how  lovely  it  was,  and  how  delicious  it 
smelt !  One  morning,  some  Zambesi  chickens — a  dwarfish  race, 
and  hence  all  the  more  destructive — managed  to  slip  under  the 
thorns,  and — pecked  the  flower  to  pieces  and  tore  up  the  roots. 
Such  a  poor  struggling  little  waif  as  it  was,  you  would  not 
believe  the  delight  we  had  in  it,  nor  our  grief  when  we  saw  it 
withered  and  dead. 

This  makes  me  hesitate  to  speak  to  you  about  another 
flower,  beautiful  in  a  different  way.  But  why  should  you  not 
enjoy  it  with  us,  and  help  us  to  water  it  ?  If  it  should  wither 
(which  God  forbid),  you  will  lament  it  with  us,  and  your 
sympathy  will  be  a  comfort.^ 

On  November  14th,  1887,  I  began  my  class  of  catechumens — 

'  Unhappily,  the  sweet-pea's  history  proved  only  too  perfect  a  parable  of 
Nguana-Ngombe's. 


i888]  A   CONFESSION    OF   FAITH  32I 

of  enquirers,  as  the  English  more  justly  call  them.  This  class 
was,  and  still  is,  composed  of  only  two  members — Ruthi,  the 
daughter  of  our  evangelist  Aaron,  and  Nguana-Ngomb6.  It 
is  about  the  latter,  whom  you  know  already,  that  I  desire  to 
speak.  For  more  than  a  year  past,  we  have  had  reason  to 
believe  he  was  converted.  He  has  always  given  us  great  satis- 
faction ;  during  the  years  (now  nearly  four)  that  he  has  been 
in  our  house ;  but  that  was  not  enough  for  us.  To-day,  he  is 
more  than  a  good  servant  to  us  :  he  is  a  son.  I  believe  I  have 
told  you  how  often  we  have  found  this  dear  boy  praying  in 
the  thickets  of  the  woods,  and  how  one  evening  he  came  shyly 
to  ask  in  so  many  words,  "What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  It 
is  a  long  time  now,  since  he  professed  to  have  found  the 
Saviour.  I  wish  you  could  see  him,  talking,  in  his  somewhat 
laconic  manner,  with  the  people  who  come  to  offer  us  their 
produce,  or  calling  together  our  children  and  work-people  in 
the  evening.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  take  him  for  an  evangelising 
journey.  He  is  beside  himself  with  joy  ;  he  must  needs  stop 
the  passers-by,  and  shout  to  those  working  in  the  swamps 
whom  we  cannot  reach,  and  emphasise  what  I  say,  or  repeat 
it  in  the  dialect  of  the  country,  in  that  genial  way  of  his  that 
makes  people  listen  to  him.  Everybody  knows  Nguana- 
Ngombe,  and  every  one  likes  him. 

A  fortnight  ago  last  Sunday,  we  had  a  good  audience  of  from 
one  hundred  and  forty  to  one  hundred  fifty  people.  I  spoke 
upon  the  Unknown  God — Acts  xvii.  23.  When  I  had  finished, 
Nguana-Ngombe,  under  the  influence  of  deep  emotion,  rose 
and  asked  leave  to  speak.  I  took  down  his  address,  and  I  think 
it  will  interest  you.     It  touched  us  deeply. 

"  My  fathers  and  mothers,"  he  said,  "  you  will  be  astonished 
to  see  me  stand  up  to  speak  in  an  assembly  like  this.  It 
is  because  I  feel  driven  to  tell  you  that  I  long  sought  the 
Unknown  God,  of  Whom  the  Moruti  has  just  been  speaking.  I 
have  found  Him  ;  He  has  revealed  Himself  to  my  soul  ;  I  am 
a  believer.  You  look  at  me  in  astonishment.  You  all  know 
me.  I  am  Nguana-Ngombe,  a  inoshimane  "  (here,  a  slave).  "  My 
father  is  a  Mosubia,  my  mother  a  Motoka.  I  am  the  moslii- 
inatie  of  the  Baruti.  Yes,  but  I  am  more  than  that — I  am  a 
believer.     I  was  lost :  God  has  saved  me. 

"  I  was  not  always  what  I  am  now.     Alas,  no  !     Four  years 

21 


322  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

ago,  I  was  a  mere  child  "  (he  is  now  fifteen  or  sixteen).  "  I  went 
to  Leshoma  to  ask  the  Moruti  to  take  me  into  his  service  for 
a  month.  It  was  a  setsiba  that  I  wanted.  The  month  gone 
by,  I  asked  him  to  keep  me  for  a  gun.  He  consented.  But 
I  did  not  Hke  the  things  of  God.  When  the  hour  for  prayer 
came  round,  I  put  my  kettle  on  the  fire,  and  ran  off  into  the 
woods.  Those  who  knew  me  then,  know  that  I  was  passionate, 
and  that  I  could  not  endure  either  insults  or  contradiction. 
At  Sesheke,  I  felt  less  dislike  to  the  things  of  God,  but  I 
understood  them  no  better.  The  wish  of  my  heart  was  to  be 
educated — that  was  all.  When  we  arrived  here,  the  Moniti 
returned  to  Sesheke,  to  fetch  our  Mother,  and  left  me  with 
Waddell  and  Middleton,  and  we  did  not  know  if  he  would  come 
back.  Middleton  gave  us  our  food  very  regularly  ;  but  there 
were  no  more  prayers,  no  more  hymns,  no  more  sermons. 
These  whites  worked  all  the  week  ;  on  Sunday  they  rested, 
and  no  doubt  read  the  Word  of  God  together.  For  us,  the 
bashiinatie,  the  Lord's  Day  was  like  any  other  day :  we  ate,  we 
slept.  I  did  the  cooking,  and  that  was  all.  One  day,  my  heart 
was  full  of  anger.  I  found  our  stock  of  insults  too  small  ;  and 
I  demanded  of  Middleton  to  teach  me  the  biggest  English 
oaths  and  the  most  withering  curses.  He  told  me  he  had  long 
forgotten  them. 

"  One  Sunday,  I  asked  him  why  he  did  not  make  us  read. 
He  did  it  that  day,  but  not  after.  I  think  he  was  tired.  My 
heart  was  very  sad,  and  I  mourned  to  myself,  '  If  only  I  had 
profited  by  the  teaching  of  my  Father  and  Mother  !  And  how 
if  they  never  come  back  ? '  With  these  tormenting  thoughts, 
I  wandered  aimlessly  in  the  woods.  The  idea  suddenly  came 
to  me,  '  Suppose  I  tried  to  pray  alone !  The  Moruti  says  God 
always  hears.'  I  threw  myself  on  my  knees  there,  under  those 
bushes,  and  cried,  '  O  Thou,  the  great  God  Whom  I  know  not, 
have  pity  upon  me  ! '  One  Sunday,  it  was  raining,  so  that  I 
could  not  go  into  the  woods,  and  I  proposed  to  Kamburu  and 
the  other  young  men  to  sing  some  hymns.  '  Very  well,' 
replied  Kamburu,  *  but  first  we  are  going  to  sing  boyanga '  "  (a 
heathen  song)  "  '  and  to  dance.'  So  indeed  they  did,  and  I  went 
away.  They  were  displeased  with  me,  made  fun  of  me,  and 
called  rne  all  sorts  of  names  :  it  drove  me  to  pray  all  the  more. 
I  was  in  a  great  ^gony,    The  counsels  of  Aaron  and  of  my 


i888]  MR.    SFXOUS  323 

Father  "  (the  missionary)  "  helped  mc,  and  at  last  I  found  the 
pardon  of  my  sins. 

"  Are  you  going  to  say, '  Look  at  Nguana-Ngombe  ;  he  wants 
to  be  a  white  man  '  ?  How  can  I  become  a  white  man,  when  I 
was  born  black  ?  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  whites  only :  all 
white  men  are  not  believers  ;  we  have  seen  some  already  who 
were  bad  like  ourselves.  The  Moruti  says  it  is  the  same  thing 
in  Basuto-land  ;  there  are  Christian  Basuto,  like  Aaron,  but 
there  are  others  who  have  remained  heathen.  It  is  the  Christian 
Basuto  who  bring  us  the  Gospel  which  they  have  themselves 
received  from  the  Christians  of  France. 

"  I  hear  people  scoffing,  and  saying,  '  Has  the  missionary 
been  up  into  heaven,  that  he  pretends  to  know  God  ? '  No, 
he  has  never  been  to  heaven,  he  has  never  seen  God,  and, 
moreover,  he  has  never  said  he  has  done  so.  But  God  has 
revealed  Himself  by  His  Son  and  by  His  Word.  I  shall  never 
tell  you  that  I  have  seen  God,  but  I  will  tell  you  what  I  know 
of  His  Word,  and  how  He  has  saved  me.  No,  the  Moniti  has 
never  been  up  to  heaven.  But  he  is  going  there  ;  and  I,  his 
inoshimane,  am  going  too.  I  am  the  first,  and  I  should  be 
very  much  afraid,  if  I  were  not  a  believer.  Shall  I  be  the  only 
one  to  follow  him  ?  You,  my  fathers  and  mothers,  and  you  my 
thaka"  (equals  in  age),  "  will  you  not  come  with  us  ?  Question 
me  as  much  as  you  like,  as  often  as  you  like  ;  do  not  be  afraid. 
What  I  wanted  to  say  to  you  is,  that  I  have  found  the  Unknown 
God,  the  great  God,  and  that  I  am  a  believer." 

This  simple  story,  which  under  my  pen  and  in  translation 
loses  so  much  of  its  warmth  and  colour,  was  heard  with  the 
deepest  attention.  The  men  clacked  their  tongues  ;  the  women 
remained  motionless,  with  gaping  mouths  :  we  ourselves,  taken 
by  surprise,  were  deeply  moved,  and  blessed  God. 

Sefula,  September  1888. 

One  Sunday  morning,  to  everybody's  great  surprise,  a  gentle- 
man on  horseback  arrived.  It  was  an  Englishman,  Mr.  Selous, 
French  by  descent  and  education,  and  a  well-known  hunter. 
For  fifteen  years  and  more,  he  has  been  going  after  elephants, 
lions,  and  big  game  in  the  solitudes  of  the  Linyanti,  the 
Mashona,  and  the  regions  of  the  Southern  Zambesi.  In  1B77, 
he  crossed  the  river,  and   thence  went  northwards.     We  met 


324  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

at  Mangwato  the  following  year,  and  became  acquainted.  Mr. 
Selous  arrived  at  Pata-matenga  in  the  month  of  May,  with 
two  waggons  of  merchandise ;  but,  alarmed  by  the  reports 
current  in  the  country  of  an  imminent  revolution,  he  abandoned 
his  hunting,  and,  with  a  troop  of  porters  and  guides,  crossed 
the  river  above  the  cataracts  of  Musi  oa  Tunya,  and  went  north, 
across  the  Batoka  country.  He  hoped  to  work  round  the 
Mashukulumboe  country  where  Dr.  Holub  almost  perished,  and 
to  cross  the  Kafone.  But  it  happened  that  his  guides  brought 
him  straight  to  a  Mashukulumboe  village.  It  must  be  said 
that,  in  that  particular  place,  the  connexion  of  the  two  tribes 
is  so  close  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  them.  The  same  nudity 
exists,  the  same  customs,  the  same  language.  They  seemed 
to  receive  him  favourably.  Mr.  Selous  killed  two  or  three 
antelopes,  and  the  Mashukulumboe  performed  some  dances  in 
his  honour.  But  in  the  night  that  followed,  the  illusion  was 
dispelled  in  a  most  unexpected  manner  for  the  travellers,  by  a 
volley  of  bullets  full  in  their  faces,  and  a  hail  of  assegais  falling 
on  their  camp.  Amid  the  confusion  that  followed,  and  under  cover 
of  the  darkness,  Mr.  Selous  succeeded  in  escaping  quite  alone. 

The  same  night,  driven  by  thirst,  he  ventured  into  a  small 
village,  sat  down  by  the  dying  embers  of  a  fire,  and  felt  himself 
dosing  off,  when  in  a  neighbouring  court  he  heard  some  one 
loading  a  gun.  At  the  same  moment,  a  handful  of  thatch, 
thrown  on  the  brazier  by  a  new-comer,  kindled  a  flame,  and 
lit  up  the  form  of  a  man,  a  few  paces  distant,  who  was  taking 
aim  at  him.  Instinctively,  Mr.  Selous  put  out  his  hand  to 
seize  his  carbine.  But  the  carbine  was  no  longer  there  ;  it  had 
been  taken  away  without  his  noticing  it !  With  one  bound,  he 
was  in  the  tall  grass,  and  escaped  indeed,  but  quite  alone, 
without  arms,  and  stripped  of  everything.  Fifteen  days  later, 
three  of  his  men  rejoined  him,  and  he  learnt  then  that  twelve 
of  his  porters  had  been  killed,  and  the  rest  scattered. 

There  is  a  sort  of  free-masonry  among  travellers.  Moreover, 
kindness  to  a  man  who  came  to  us  in  such  circumstances  was 
only  our  duty.  While  listening  to  him,  as  he  related  his  adven- 
tures to  us,  I  felt  singularly  drawn  to  him.  He  is  a  noble 
character.^ 

'  See  Mr.  Selous's  book  "Travel  and  Adventure  in  South-East  Africa" 
for  an  account  of  this  visit. 


^ 
>. 


LOST   WHITES  325 

It  is  a  serious  thing  that  the  Batoka  and  Mashukuhiinboe 
have  got  to  the  point  of  not  fearing  to  pillage  and  massacre 
the  Europeans  who  have  penetrated  into  their  country.  The 
adventures  of  Dr.  Holub  and  Mr.  Selous  are  by  no  means 
isolated  cases.  We  hear  of  Portuguese  traders,  of  the  son  of 
a  missionary  we  know,  and  of  his  partner,  a  young  Englishman, 
whom  they  have  also  massacred  within  the  last  few  years. 
For  the  moment,  that  country  is  closed  to  science  and  com- 
merce, but  I  have  faith  that  it  is  the  Gospel  which  will  open  it 
before  long. 

The  Barotsi  in  full  council  {pitso)  requested  me  to  attend 
before  them,  and  asked  with  interested  curiosity  if  the  Europeans 
who  travel  in  these  regions  could  be  stripped  and  killed  with 
impunity — were  they  "  lost  whites,"  "  adventurers  whom 
nobody  cared  for,  even  in  their  own  country  "  ?  The  Barotsi 
themselves  are  only  one  step  removed  from  thinking  so,  to 
judge  by  the  way  they  have  treated  some  English  gentlemen. 
These  had  come  from  England  for  the  pleasure  of  a  few  weeks' 
hunting  on  the  Zambesi ;  and  they  had  made  very  valuable 
presents  to  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke  and  to  the  king.  That  did 
not  prevent  their  being  pillaged,  tormented,  and  harassed  in 
such  a  way  that  they  left  the  country  without  hunting,  carrying 
away  nothing  but  the  bitterness  of  disappointment  and  disgust. 
The  king,  who  had  been  ill-informed  and  deceived,  fearing 
perhaps  that  he  might  make  himself  unpopular,  did  nothing, 
said  nothing  even  to  condemn  the  evil-doers. 

Our  friends  the  Jallas  and  Jeanmairets  at  Sesheke  will 
themselves  have  told  you  the  life  of  vexations  and  struggles 
they  have  been  leading,  since  the  village  was  rebuilt  on  the 
station  itself  They  can  scarcely  call  their  houses  their  own. 
We,  who  know  something  about  it,  understand  all  the 
difficulties  of  their  position,  and  it  makes  me  very  .sad.  May 
God  give  His  servants  and  handmaids  the  needful  courage 
and  strength,  to  hold  their  ground  and  finally  triumph  over 
everything ! 


CHAPTER    XX 

A  Visit  to  Lealuyi — Famine  at  the  Capital — A  Memorable  Pitso — The  King 
proposes  to  place  the  Country  under  British  Protection — A  Storm — 
Liomba  the  Scapegoat — Mme.  Coillard  and  the  Barotsi  Women — The 
King's  Daughters  as  Mission  Pupils — Difficulties  of  Evangelisation — 
Departure  of  Aaron,  Levi,  and  M.  Goy — Alone  at  Sefula— Mad  Dogs. 

Sefula,  Baroisi  Valley,  October  1888. 

IT  is  always  with  pleasure  that  I  pay  a  visit  to  Lealuyi. 
There  I  find  myself  in  contact  with  chiefs  coming  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  and  I  often  meet  also  representatives 
of  foreign  tribes.  I  hope  to  do  a  little  good  there,  and  I  always 
learn  something.  My  one  regret  is  that  we  are  so  far  away, 
for  each  visit  necessitates  an  absence  of  some  days,  and  a 
considerable  upset  in  the  routine  of  station  life.  Still,  this 
distance  has  its  advantages  too,  and  that  consoles  us.  Since 
we  cannot  get  nearer  to  the  capital,  we  still  hope  the 
capital  will  one  day  come  nearer  to  us.  Lewanika  had  promised 
it ;  he  had  even  chosen  a  situation  and  built  a  stable.  The 
stable  was  never  used — it  has  fallen  into  ruins ;  and  since  the 
Mashukulumboe  expedition,  the  plan  seems  to  have  been 
abandoned — I  do  not  know  why.  Other  plans  are  in  the  air, 
and  it  is  as  yet  impossible  for  me  to  predict  what  form  they 
will  take. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  month,  I  had  passed  two  Sundays 
at  Lealuyi — ten  days  well  spent.  Lewanika  had  convoked  a 
grand ///.j-r? ;  but  the  chiefs  delayed  so  much  in  coming  together, 
that  I  went  away,  back  to  my  sick  wife.  The  couriers  were 
soon  after  me,  bringing  their  messages  scrawled  on  sheets  of 
paper  carried  at  the  end  of  a  reed  ;  for  in  our  poor  Seajika 
the  king  has  found  a  secretary  of  state — not  very  deeply  versed 
in  the  art  of  caligraphy,  it  is  true,  but  of  whom  he  is  never- 
theless very  proud.     He  uses  and  abuses  this  functionary  like 

326 


FAMINE   AT   THE   CAPITAL  32^ 

a  child.     "  Every  one  has  assembled,"  said  Lcwanika  ;  "  hasten  ; 
business  is  urgent,  and  the  people  arc  dying  of  hunger ! " 

People  are  dying  of  hunger  !  At  the  capital  ?  Does  it 
astonish  you  ?  It  does  not  me,  for  I  have  never  seen  plenty 
there.  In  all  South  Africa,  I  only  know  one  spot  more  sad  and 
desolate — that  is  Morokoeng.  Lealuyi  is  the  residence  of  the 
king.  His  ministers  live  there  usually,  and  the  chiefs  occa- 
sionally come  to  stay  for  a  time  ;  but  they  all  have  their  own 
villages  at  greater  or  lesser  distances.  In  flood-time,  it  is  an 
islet,  where  the  masters  feel  so  closely  penned  up,  that  in  the 
end  they  leave  it  to  a  few  slaves,  and  take  refuge  on  the  wooded 
dunes  bordering  the  Valley.  It  is  the  time  for  grand  hunts 
and  masquerades  : — the  Barotsi  are  passionately  fond  of  mas- 
querades. It  is  also  a  happy  time  for  the  slaves.  The  canoes 
dart  over  the  submerged  plain  :  their  service  is  easy.  One 
rejoices  to  see  the  huts  having  a  bath,  and  the  filth  dis- 
appearing :  one  only  wishes  this  beneficent  cleansing  could  be 
more  complete.  When  the  dry  season  returns,  the  village  is 
repeopled.  Then  the  slaves  have  a  hard  life.  There  are  no 
fields  in  the  neighbourhood  ;  all  the  food,  like  all  the  fuel, 
comes  from  a  distance,  and  is  carried  on  men's  backs.  The 
water — and  such  water  1 — is  drawn  two  or  three  miles  away. 
Only  a  few  miserable  cows  are  kept  there  for  the  little  children 
of  the  aristocrats.  The  slaves,  who  swarm  there,  tighten  their 
belts  in  vain  ;  they  do  not  always  succeed  in  cheating  hunger  ; 
and  if  they  do  not  steal,  they  take  to  flight.  If  they  are  caught 
— and  alas  !  they  always  are  caught,  even  if  it  is  not  for  twenty 
years — they  are  no  better  fed  ;  they  are  simply  strangled  or 
flogged  more  liberally.  Here,  foreigner  or  traveller  provides 
each  for  his  own  needs.  Outside  the  village,  he  gathers  reeds 
and  armfuls  of  rotten  grass,  and  makes  a  hovel  for  himself  and 
his  followers,  and  he  vegetates  there  the  best  way  he  can, 
without  anybody  troubling  about  him,  unless  it  be  some  of 
his  relatives,  if  he  has  any. 

If  he  is  a  person  of  some  importance,  the  king  gives  him  an 
ox,  which  is  devoured  in  a  couple  of  day.s,  and  then  he  fasts  again 
in  earnest !  If  not,  a  pitcher  of  beer  sometimes,  a  basket  of 
millet,  a  bundle  of  manioc  roots,  or  even  a  hoc,  a  mat,  or  some 
other  trifle,  and  the  duties  of  hospitality  are  fulfilled  once  for  all. 
To  see   the   bowing  and  cringing  that  follow,  the  exaggerated 


328  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i88S 

tokens  of  thanks,  you  would  imagine  there  had  been  an 
unexampled  display  of  generosity,  if  you  did  not  know  all 
about  it. 

And  how  false  the  world  is  with  all  its  politeness  and  its 
adulations  !  If  we  try  to  apply  this  kind  of  hospitality  to 
our  own  guests,  we  soon  see  we  have  quite  a  different  race 
to  deal  with  !  How  often  I  should  like  just  for  a  moment  to 
get  inside  one  of  these  Zambesian  skins,  and  see  ourselves  with 
their  eyes,  and  judge  of  ourselves  by  their  intelligence !  Evi- 
dently here,  a  white  man  is  not  a  being  like  another.  With 
him,  one  may  dare  anything — one  may  permit  oneself  to  be 
an  exacting,  imperious,  even  impertinent  guest.  And  if  he 
wants  to  barter  for  a  seisiba,  the  Zambesian  slave,  following 
his  master's  example,  sorts  his  fish,  his  sweet  potatoes,  or  his 
weevilly  millet,  and  brings  the  refuse.  He  laughs  and  says 
to  himself,  "  That  is  good  enough  for  the  whites."  He  sifts  his 
flour,  keeps  the  best  for  himself,  and  unblushingly  brings  you 
the  bran,  pounded  a  second  time.  "  That  too  is  good  enough 
for  the  whites."  And  it  is  the  same  with  everything.  For 
us,  it  is  a  chronic  moral  suffering.  We  say  to  ourselves, 
"  They  will  change  when  they  become  Christians."  We  implore 
God  to  make  love  abound  in  our  hearts. 

What  a  digression  about  the  capital,  whither  we  are  going ! 
Let  us  hasten  our  preparations,  and  above  all  guard  against 
hunger  !  This  time,  I  determined  to  take  my  wife  to  Lealuyi. 
For  a  long  while,  she  had  desired  it  so  much,  that  I  think 
God  must  have  put  it  into  her  heart.  Perhaps  too  the  change 
would  do  her  good,  I  thought.  Only,  could  it  be  done? 
The  waggon  was  there,  right  enough  ;  but  the  oxen  and  drivers 
were  at  Sesheke.  No  matter.  Nguana-Ngombe,  the  man  of 
all  work,  left  the  kitchen  and  took  the  whip  ;  Aaron  lent  a  hand 
heartily  ;  we  formed  a  miniature  team  of  calves  and  heifers, 
and — set  off.  Our  young  cattle  lay  down,  grew  restive,  struggled 
as  though  they  would  break  the  whole  turn-out  to  pieces, 
bellowing  with  despair  and  foaming  with  rage  under  the  yokes. 
In  order  to  break  them  in  for  this  little  jaunt  of  six  hours, 
we  have  been  toiling  and  moiling  for  eight  days  under  a 
burning  sky  in  the  sands  of  our  dunes  and  the  quagmires 
of  our  marshes.  What  scenes !  I  still  laugh  to  think  of  them. 
No  matter  ;  we  did  not  give  up  ;  we  reached  our  goal — and  that 


i888]  A   MEMOKACLE   PITSO  329 

is  the  great  thing.  Our  arrival  at  Lealuyi  was  a  real  triumph. 
For  the  moment,  we  preferred  to  forget  about  our  return. 

The  next  morning,  I  left  my  wife  comfortably  established  in 
one  of  the  king's  fine  huts  with  the  queen,  Mokwae  of  Nalolo, 
her  sister  Katoka,  and  several  princesses  of  the  harem,  as  a 
sewing  society  in  permanent  session,  and  I  betook  myself  to 
the  pitso. 

Although  I  have  already  spoken  to  you  of  a  pitso  among 
the  Barotsi,  I  think  this  one  merits  a  special  description. 

The  king  took  his  scat  in  the  midst  of  a  bewildering  tin- 
tinnabulation of  tom-toms  and  serivibas,  the  ministers  crouching 
at  his  right,  the  chamberlains  (if  I  may  be  pardoned  for  calling 
such  small  things  by  such  big  names)  at  his  left.  Troops  of 
men,  chiefs  with  their  followers,  were  crowding  from  all  sides  into 
the  public  square.  There  was  an  incessant  roar  of  acclamations 
like  thunder,  and,  while  the  newest  arrivals  were  prolonging  it, 
the  others  were  prostrating  themselves,  and  taking  their  places 
among  the  groups  already  forming  round  the  sovereign. 

The  drums  ceased ;  silence  fell.  The  Gambella  (the  prime 
minister),  the  upper  part  of  his  body  unclothed,  advanced  into  the 
space  left  vacant,  saluted  the  king,  and  then  made  a  speech.  It 
was  the  "  speech  from  the  throne,"  as  we  should  say.  This  speech 
was  heard  and  received  in  such  silence  as  seemed  stupefaction. 
What  do  you  think  it  was  about  ?  What  indeed  ?  You  could 
never  guess.  Nothing  less  than  the  protectorate  of  "  Satory  " — 
Queen  Victoria  of  England  !  In  his  exile,  Lewanika  had  heard 
it  talked  about  ;  he  imagined  that  there  he  would  find  the 
panacea  of  all  his  ills.  We  had  often  talked  it  over  together. 
I  had  tried  to  set  his  ideas  right,  and  above  all  to  inculcate 
wider  and  more  disinterested  views.  I  had  resisted  his  entreaties, 
and  many  times  refused  to  write  to  the  authorities  on  the 
subject ;  and  my  reasons  will  be  understood.  I  had  counselled 
him  to  address  himself  first  to  the  chief  Khama,  to  take  his 
ministers  and  favourite  likoinboa  into  his  confidence,  and  then 
to  treat  of  the  matter  in  a  council  of  the  great  chiefs  of  the 
nation.  But  Lewanika  has  the  tendencies  of  an  autocrat ;  he 
is  a  personification  of  the  Divine  Right.  He  was  not  sure 
of  these  great  chiefs  either,  and  he  resolved  simply  to  have 
recourse  to  a  surprise.  He  counted  on  our  credit  and  my 
goodwill,  and  thought  he   would   be  recommending  his  project 


330  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [188B 

by  identifying  it  with  the  mission.  It  is  what  the  detractors 
of  missionary  work  do  from  another  motive  ;  they  take  pleasure 
in  showing  us  up  as  political  agents. 

The  Gambella  spoke  to  the  following  effect  :  "  Barotsi,  we  are 
threatened  by  enemies  from  without  and  from  within.  I  have 
sought  missionaries  for  you,  so  that  you  should  not  be  behind 
other  nations.  Did  you  welcome  them  ?  Are  you  grateful  for 
them  ?  The  chief  Khama  has  missionaries,  but  he  also  has 
vtasole  "  (soldiers).  "  They  go  together.  So  if  you  like  to  have 
the  missionaries,  ask  Satory  to  send  us  her  soldiers.  The  Moruti" 
(missionary)  "  will  do  it  for  us.  To  hesitate  means  to  reject  the 
missionaries  themselves.  Would  you  like  the  missionaries  to 
leave  us  now  ?  Speak  ;  have  no  fear  ;  the  Moruti  is  here  ;  he  is 
listening  to  you,  and  so  am  I." 

Astounded  like  every  one  else,  I  was  curious  to  see  how 
these  poor  people  would  take  the  thing  up,  and  I  held  my 
tongue.  At  length,  a  courageous  orator  broke  the  silence,  which 
had  become  decidedly  embarrassing,  "  Lewanika,  since  we  must 
speak,  see  here :  we  are  thy  dogs.  If  those  be  thy  words,  we 
have  nothing  to  say — nothing.  The  Baruti  are  a  blessing  from 
thyself  We  have  received  them.  They  were  foreigners ; 
to-day  they  are  Barotsi.  We  know  them  ;  they  are  good  people  ; 
they  have  not  yellow  hearts — not  they ;  they  covet  no  man's 
goods  ;  they  pay  for  the  services,  we  render  them  ;  we  all  wear 
their  stuffs.  They  instruct  our  children,  and  give  medicines 
to  our  sick  ;  they  are  the  fathers  of  the  nation.  We  ought 
to  listen  to  their  advice ;  and  if  we  absolutely  must  receive  the 
soldiers — well,  let  us  receive  them." 

"  But  what  are  these  inasole  of  whom  the  king  speaks  ? " 
burst  out  a  second  orator.  "  Are  they  missionaries  too  ?  What 
will  they  come  to  teach  us?  The  missionaries  bring  us  the 
Lengoalo"  (that  is,  the  teaching,  properly  ivriting  which  com- 
prehends everything  else).  "  Is  not  their  teaching  enough  ? 
Or  have  we  refused  to  submit  to  it  ?  No,  we  have  welcomed 
them ;  we  love  them  :  they  pray  for  us  ;  they  give  us  sleep  and 
rain.     I  ask,  what  are  these  inasole  ?  " 

The  ball  once  set  rolling,  it  was  one  series  of  speeches, 
echoing  and  outdoing  one  another.  Apart  from  a  very 
legitimate  uneasiness  on  the  subject  of  the  niasole — this  thing 
hitherto  unknown,  and  now  heard  of  for  the  first  time — there 


SOLDIERS    VERSUS   MISSIONARIES  33 1 

was  nothing  equivocal  in  the  general  confidence  testified  towards 
us.  And  they  were  all  eyes  and  all  ears  when  I  explained  that, 
as  servants  of  God,  we  had  absolutely  nothing  to  do  either  with 
the  masole  or  the  British  Government  or  any  other  government 
whatsoever.  I  dwelt  on  this,  and  I  took  care  they  thoroughly 
understood  it.  I  added  that,  being  perfectly  disinterested  in 
the  question,  as  I  am  a  Frenchman,  I  was  ready  to  help  them 
with  my  advice,  and  second  them  in  the  steps  they  took.  I 
closed  by  explaining  what  a  protectorate  is,  the  liabilities  it 
involves,  etc. 

Lewanika  was  stamping  with  impatience  beside  me.  The 
speeches  which  followed  showed  I  had  made  myself  understood, 
"  If  you  will  have  the  masole"  they  said  to  Lewanika,  "  let  them 
come,  but  not  while  we  are  here.  We  serve  you  because  you 
are  king  and  sovereign  ;  but  if  you  become  the  motlanka " 
(the  servant  of  rulers),  "  the  subject  of  a  master  and  a  foreigner, 
that  is  a  humiliation  the  Barotsi  will  never  accept.  We  have 
welcomed  the  Baruti ;  they  have  our  confidence  and  our  affection. 
Let  us  be  docile  and  receive  their  teaching,  and  see  what  they 
will  make  of  this  nation  ;  it  is  worn  out  with  bloody  feuds. 
What  we  need  is  teachers "  {Baruti\  "  and  we  have  got  them." 

The  chiefs  demanded  leave  to  shout  and  salute  all  at  once, 
according  to  their  usual  custom  for  closing  a  great  question, 
and  thus  to  give  a  public  manifestation  of  the  nation's  confidence 
in  its  missionaries.     Lewanika  was  displeased,  and  withdrew. 

At  my  suggestion,  in  the  evening  he  assembled  all  the 
principal  headmen  at  the  kas/iandi^  to  discuss  the  question  more 
freely.  But  discussion  was  no  longer  possible.  The  chiefs 
had  laid  their  heads  together  and  taken  their  stand.  The  king 
was  on  his  mettle.  Both  sides  were  hurling  provocations  at 
each  other,  even  while  trying  to  keep  up  the  traditional  decorum. 
We  were  stifling  in  this  electric  atmosphere,  and  expected 
every  moment  to  see  the  storm  burst. 

"  The  missionaries — yes,  them  we  understand  ;  those  are  the 
men  for  us ;  we  will  give  our  children  to  them;  but  we  will 
not  have  foreigners  to  rule  over  us."  "  Why  not  ask  me  what 
I  want  them  for,  myself?"  retorted  Lewanika.  Then  turning 
to  me,  and  pointing  at  them  with  his  finger,-  he  added  bitterly, 

'  The  king's  private  office.  '  A  deadly  insult  to  a  Morotsi. 


332  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i888 

"  It  is   to  protect   myself  against  those   Barotsi.     You   do   not 
know  them  ;  they  are  plotting  against  my  life." 

Thereupon,  his  likomboa  launched  boldly  into  abuse.  "  Now 
compel  that  base  generation  to  confess  its  falsehoods  and 
its  plots  !  We  know  them  all,  and  knew  them  long  ago. 
To-morrow  we  will  put  you  upon  your  trial  ;  we  will  force 
you  to  unmask  you  schemes  ;  we  shall  see  how  you  will  come 
out  of  it."  Their  vocabulary  of  insults  is  astoundingly  rich, 
and  there  are  some  to  suit  everybody.  I  interposed  with  a 
few  words  of  conciliation,  and  they  listened  to  me.  I  thought 
the  storm  had  subsided,  but  I  was  mistaken. 

Early  next  day,  the  public  square  was  full  to  overflowing 
when  the  king  appeared.  Seoli,  one  of  the  ministers,  who  owes 
his  great  influence  as  much  to  his  own  force  of  character  as 
to  his  position,  opened  the  pitso  of  the  day  with  a  violent 
harangue.  He  is,  as  every  one  knows,  one  of  the  most  deeply 
compromised  ;  and  he  took  good  care  not  to  protest  his  inno- 
cence, but  he  boldly  defied  his  enemies  to  prove  his  guilt. 
It  was  another  minister,  a  member  of  his  family,  whom  he 
denounced.  Liomba,  a  man  of  weak  character,  protested, 
explained,  and  defended  himself  "  He  had  only  warned  Seoli, 
his  relative,  of  the  rumours  current  about  him,  and  to  put  him 
on  his  guard."  "  Well  now,  it  is  for  you  to  prove  those  rumours. 
Prove  them  ! "  they  cried  out  on  all  sides.  Already  one  felt 
that  Liomba  was  to  be  a  scapegoat,  and  that  the  failure  of 
his  cause  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  Those  most  involved 
were  the  very  ones  to  cry  out  the  loudest  against  "  this  rabble 
who  invent  calumnies  and  spread  them  abroad,  thereby  com- 
promising the  king's  safety,  the  life  of  his  faithful  servants,  and 
the  public  peace."  Liomba's  adherents  did  indeed  take  his  part 
at  first ;  but  they  let  themselves  be  intimidated,  and  ended 
by  holding  their  tongues  and  hanging  their  heads.  Then  a 
perfect  tempest  broke  loose.  The  popular  excitement  rose  like 
the  tide  lashed  on  by  a  hurricane.  He  was  forced  to  leave 
his  place  in  the  shade,  and,  stripped  of  his  garments  and  bare- 
headed, to  crouch  down  in  the  midst  of  the  pitso,  quite  alone, 
amid  the  hooting  of  the  crowd,  on  the  burning  sand,  in  a 
temperature  of  104'  F.  in  the  shade. 

This  scene  lasted  from  seven  in  the  morning  till  four  in  the 
afternoon.      I   followed  it  with  intense  interest.      Petty  chiefs, 


A  SCAPEGOAT  333 

parading  their  zeal,  and  thinking  themselves  free  to  do  anything 
to  a  defenceless  man,  overwhelmed  him  with  abuse,  pointed  the 
finger  at  him,  and  threatened  him  with  their  whips.  "  Bind 
him  with  cords,  and  let  us  have  done  with  this  sorcerer,"  cried 
one,  whom  I  knew  to  be  a  thorough  rascal.  The  Natamoyo  (the 
Minister  of  Mercy,  protector  of  accused  persons)  was  sitting 
there,  impassive  and  sanctimonious  ;  the  time  had  not  come  for 
him  to  intervene.  The  king,  in  answer  to  a  remark  of  mine, 
observed  severely,  "  Let  them  alone  ;  they  are  bringing  all  his 
slanders  to  light."     The  man  was  lost. 

I  rose  and  advanced  towards  him.  "  Barotsi,"  I  said,  "  a 
servant  of  God  is  a  Natamoyo.  You  shall  not  kill  that  man — 
you  may  kill  me  first.  You  have  insulted  him  enough.  What  is 
his  crime  ?  Say  !  Is  he  the  author  of  your  plots,  or  the  inventor 
of  the  reports  that  have  filled  the  country,  and  reach  us  by  letters 
and  messengers  from  Sesheke,  from  Pata-matenga,  from  Lake 
Ngami,  from  Libebe's,  and  from  everywhere  else  ?  "  .  .  . 

They  listened  in  silence  ;  little  by  little,  the  effervescence  died 
down.  The  Gambella  and  the  Natamoyo  spoke  with  modera- 
tion. The  cause  was  won.  The  king,  by  way  of  satisfaction 
to  the  turbulent  assembly,  imposed  upon  Liomba  the  fine  of 
an  ox,  which  he  paid.  While  waiting  for  the  beast  to  arrive, 
Liomba  took  refuge  with  the  Natamoyo,  and  for  three  days  never 
left  his  court  night  or  day.  At  last,  the  fine  was  paid,  the  king 
accepted  it,  and  gave  it  to  the  lekhotJila.  Liomba  submitted 
to  the  ceremony  of  the  shoalela  ;  and  scarcely  had  the  king 
pronounced  his  pnnienoko  ^  than  the  relatives  and  friends  of  the 
poor  man,  his  slaves,  and  even  those  who  had  abused  him  when 
they  thought  him  lost,  crowded  round  him  to  kiss  his  hands. 
We  had  already  saved  this  man's  life  twice  in  the  time  of  Tatira. 

While  all  this  was  passing  in  the  kkliothla,  and  agitating 
the  whole  town,  my  wife,  in  spite  of  her  great  weakness  of 
body,  had  her  own  days  well  filled.  She  tried  to  pay  two  or 
three  visits  to  sick  people  ;  above  all,  they  came  to  her.  The 
women  and  young  girls  besieged  the  hut,  or  filled  the  court, 
from  morning  till  night  ;  and,  whether  they  would  or  no,  these 
importunate  visitors  must  needs  be  dismissed,  if  one  would  have 
a  little   respite.     The  majority  of  women  came  with  materials 

^  Punioicko     "I  im  content."     The  royal  acknowledgment  of  a  salute. 


334  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

to  have  dresses  cut  out  for  them  and  learn  to  sew  ;  the  others 
looked  on  and  listened  to  the  chatter,  which  was  by  no  means 
idle.  Others  again  were  on  the  watch  for  a  favourable  moment 
to  have  a  private  conversation.  They  had  confidences  to  make, 
and  advice  to  ask  from  the  missionary's  wife — a  mother  on 
whose  discretion  they  could  depend.  One  gave  a  long  ex- 
planation of  her  illness,  another  of  her  sorrows  ;  a  third  was 
enquiring  about  the  things  of  God. 

Those  women  who  did  not  dare  to  penetrate  into  the  harem 
enclosure  where  we  were  lodging,  exchanged  messages.  "  I 
should  so  like  to  hear  you  sing !  "  said  one  of  them.  Happy 
thought !  My  wife  sent  the  three  girls  to  her  to  sing  hymns. 
From  one  court  they  were  invited  into  another,  then  into  yet 
another,  and  everywhere  people  crowded  to  hear  them. 

On  Sunday,  at  evening  service,  as  the  shadows  were  lengthen- 
ing, we  were  singing,  "  I  have  found,  I  have  found  the  way  " 
("  Ke  bom,  ke  bone  tsela ").  A  silvery  voice  rose  above  all  the 
others,  and  seemed  to  be  hovering  between  earth  and  sky — a 
voice  of  charming  sweetness.  Every  one  instinctively  turned 
towards  my  wife  with  questioning  looks.  It  was  not  she. 
We  discovered  it  was  Scbane,  one  of  our  pupils,  who  was 
singing ;  and  a  smile  of  satisfaction  went  round  the  assembly. 
No  one  will  soon  forget  that  silver  clarion  ringing  through 
the  mass  of  cracked  voices.  Since  then,  we  always  associate 
that  beautiful  hymn  with  Sebane's  voice.  This  dear  child,  who 
is  scarcely  more  than  twelve  or  thirteen,  is,  of  all  our  three  girls, 
the  one  who  at  first  seemed  most  unpromising.  She  has  become 
serious,  active,  lovable,  and  truthful.  May  that  hymn  soon 
become  the  real  expression  of  her  own  feelings  !  These  three 
children  are  only  slaves  ;  but  they  are  no  longer  what  they 
were  a  month  ago.  They  are  properly  dressed  ;  they  can  sew 
and  read  and  perform  all  sorts  of  little  household  tasks  ;  they 
have,  in  short,  acquired  a  little  air  of  civilisation,  which  raises 
them  to  such  a  point,  that  the  queen,  Mokwae,  when  they  came 
to  salute  her,  quite  forgot  herself,  and  gave  them  her  hand. 

We  could  have  returned  to  Sefula  with  a  number  of  young 
girls,  if  we  had  wished,  and  had  been  able  to  do  so.  But  how 
could  we  resist  the  entreaties  of  the  king,  who  besought  us  at 
least  to  receive  his  own  daughter,  Mpololoa,  a  nice  child  of  ten 
or  eleven  ?     We  ended  by  consenting,  on   condition  that   she 


i888]  TROUBLESOME   CHARGES  335 

should  come  quite  alone,  without  slaves,  and  should  be  entirely 
left  to  our  discretion.  Instead  of  one,  three  came,  and  with  a 
suite  of  slaves  suitable  to  their  rank.  "  What !  "  the  princess 
Katoka  had  exclaimed,  "  let  our  children  go  to  Sefula  without 
slaves  ?  Never !  "  In  vain  we  sent  them  back  ;  some  persistently 
remain,  "  lying  low"  at  Litia's,  and  appearing  now  and  then. 
We  had  to  make  an  exception  in  favour  of  two  little  slaves  of 
the  same  age  as  the  king's  children,  who  share  their  amusements 
and  come  to  school ;  and  one  other  exception  for  Sanana's 
nurse,  who  has  never  left  her.  You  see  we  already  have  the 
nucleus  of  a  girls'  school  ;  and  in  the  same  way  we  have  all 
the  elements  of  a  boys'  school  ;  in  fact,  we  are  overrun.  We 
have  neither  the  strength,  nor  the  resources,  nor  the  staff 
necessary  for  so  great  a  work,  the  urgency  of  which  imposes 
itself  upon  us  more  and  more.^ 

For  the  moment,  without  speaking  of  the  labourers  required 
by  our  works,  we  have  our  hands  full  with  the  boys  and  all  the 
little  girls  who  live  under  our  roof.  We  have  to  dress,  feed, 
occupy,  and  instruct  all  these  little  people,  and  maintain  dis- 
cipline among  them,  slight  though  the  latter  may  be — all  of 
which  in  itself  would  be  a  heavy  task  for  a  person  in  good 
health. 

But  the  work  imposed  on  us  is  so  important,  that  it  would 
be  culpable  to  let  slip  the  opportunity  for  doing  it.  Mpololoa, 
who,  as  I  said,  is  scarcely  eleven,  is  already  betrothed  to  a 
man  who  might  almost  be  her  grandfather,  and  who  bears 
the  title  of  Mokwe  Tunga.^  She  is  a  pleasant  child,  but  with 
her  inferiors  she  puts  on  all  the  haughty  airs  of  a  great 
personage.  The  youngest  of  our  new  pupils  is  only  seven — 
a  little  rogue,  if  ever  there  was  one.  When  Mme.  Coillard 
gave  her  a  piece  of  stuff  for  the  first  time  to  learn  sewing, 
Sanana   looked    at  her   and   said,   "  My  mother,  for   whom    is 

'  The  training  of  these  young  people  was  no  easy  matter,  since  the 
sanctity  of  their  persons  was  such  that  it  was  not  permitted  literally  to 
lay  a  finger  on  them.  One  day,  while  some  building  was  going  on  at  the 
station,  a  serf,  running  round  the  corner  with  a  bundle  of  thatch  in  his  arms, 
met  the  king's  little  daughter,  who  was  running  in  the  contrary  direction, 
and  by  accident  the  tip  of  a  reed  bruslied  her  eye.  In  an  hour's  time, 
before  M.  Coillard  had  even  heard  of  the  occurrence,  the  man  was  4ead, 
executed  by  the  child's  attendants. 

*  Son-in-law  of  the  Nation,  etjuiv^lent  to  l^rjnce  Consort, 


336  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

this  garment  ?  Sanana  does  not  sew  for  anybody  else  ;  she 
only  sews  for  herself."  You  see  there  is  not  only  an  education 
needed,  but  a  whole  education  to  undo. 

November  1888. 

Our  school  began  again  on  October  ist  with  forty-eight 
scholars  on  the  books.  It  is  a  numerical  gain  on  last  year. 
Thank  God,  it  is  not  the  only  one.  The  boys  who  gave  us  so 
much  trouble,  and  sometimes  so  much  sorrow,  have  come  back 
to  us  in  a  much  better  frame  of  mind  and  with  an  ardent 
desire  to  learn.  When  they  saw  the  school-house — still  only  a 
temporary  one — which  we  are  building,  they  were  much  dis- 
appointed to  learn  that  it  was  not  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
them  as  boarders.  They  had  been  counting  on  that — I  do  not 
know  why. 

"  We  will  submit  to  any  discipline  ;  you  can  do  anything  you 
like  with  us,"  said  Litia  ;  "  and  the  king  will  feed  us." 

The  king  indeed  enters  thoroughly  into  these  views.  He 
is  very  energetic  himself,  and  wishes  all  these  young  men  to 
learn  to  work  ;  he  finds  it  difficult  to  understand  that  our  friend 
Waddell  has  anything  else  to  do  but  teach  them  joinery.  He 
has  procured  them  planes  and  saws  ;  he  spares  nothing  for 
them.  He  speaks  of  sending  them  "  to  the  whites  "  ;  where,  he 
does  not  know.  Lewanika  himself  is  learning  to  read  and  write 
most  zealously,  and  makes  astonishing  progress.  He  in  his 
turn  has  set  to  work  to  teach  his  wives  and  servants,  so  that 
there  is  quite  a  little  movement  at  the  capital. 

What  is  lacking  is  an  evangelist  endowed  with  a  strong  head 
and  a  sound  heart,  who  should  reside  there.  Aaron  and  I  make 
frequent  visits  there.  But  now  that  he  is  leaving,  and  that  I 
have  lost  my  horse,  what  shall  I  do  ? 

The  work  here  is  certainly  encouraging  as  it  presents  itself 
at  this  moment.  The  preaching  is  generally  listened  to  atten- 
tively— attentively,  that  is  all.  It  would  not  do  to  fancy  that 
our  Zambesians  have  as  yet  any  true  thirst  after  the  things  of 
God.  Alas  !  it  often  happens  that,  when  we  are  beginning  to 
hope,  the  smallest  incident  reveals  to  us  that  our  wishes  have 
given  false  wings  to  our  desires  ;  and  such  revelations  are  full 
of  bitterness.  The  preaching  itself  is  often  a  hard  task.  During 
our   open-air    services,    we    are    exposed    to    all    sorts    of  rude 


i888]  LEFT  ALONE  337 

interruptions,  which  provoke  uncontrollable  laughter.  If  the 
king  sneezes,  there  is  a  thunder  of  hand-clapping.  Or  strangers 
come,  and  cannot  understand  this  strange  agglomeration  of 
people  who  sing  without  dancing,  and  who  are  listening  to  the 
white  man  standing  and  speechifying  ;  they  can  only  venture 
awkwardly  and  timidly  to  offer  the  usual  salutation.  That  too 
makes  every  one  laugh.  Perhaps  it  is  a  lunatic  who  sits  in  front 
of  me,  and  imitates  my  voice  and  my  gestures ;  or  the  king's 
idiot  child,  to  whom  everything  is  permitted,  who  runs  about, 
questioning  everybody  and  hitting  people  right  and  left.  All 
that  went  on  during  my  last  preaching  at  Lealuyi  And 
when,  preserving  my  self-control,  I  thought  I  had  suppressed 
the  effervescence,  lo  and  behold  !  a  chameleon,  dropped  from 
I  know  not  where,  but  sent  by  the  devil,  convulsed  half  my 
audience  with  terror,  and  half  with  mirth !  Our  poor  Barotsi 
have  a  keen  sense  of  the  ridiculous  ;  they  make  fun  of  every- 
body and  everything.  Often  it  is  with  a  terrible  inward  conflict 
that  I  prepare  myself  to  meet  such  an  audience.  Oh,  why 
have  we  not  a  Philip  here,  a  Stephen,  an  apostle  full  of  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost ! 

December  i^ih,  1888. 
So  here  we  are  quite  alone.  Our  friends  left  us  a  fortnight 
ago  for  Basuto-land — M.  Goy  to  be  married  there,  and  Aaron 
to  take  his  children.  There  is  always  something  sorrowful 
in  separations,  and  our  circumstances  added  to  the  solemnity 
of  the  moment  in  which  we  commended  each  other  to  the 
grace  of  God.  We  had  quietly  made  the  preparations  for  the 
journey,  and  in  seeing  Aaron  demolish  and  pack  up  his  effects  ; 
we  had  suffered  all  the  melancholy  feelings  awakened  by  the 
break-up  of  a  household.  We  had  brought  his  school  children 
to  sing  a  farewell  hymn,  and  receive  the  blessing  of  the  master 
who  was  leaving  them.  Poor  Aaron  !  he  did  not  make  a  long 
speech.  "  My  children —  I  leave  you  with  my  Father  and 
Mother  :  they  are  no  longer  young  ;  make  the  task  easy  for 
them."  His  heart  was  too  full  to  bless  aloud  the  school  he 
loved  so  well.  We  had  also  taken  our  farewell  Communion, 
And  yet,  up  to  the  last  moment,  I  cherished  the  vague  hope 
of  seeing  something  extraordinary  happen  to  keep  our  helpers 
back.     Illusion  !     The  spider  thread   snapped  ;  nothing   extra- 

22 


338  ON    THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

ordinary  happened.  On  Saturday,  December  ist,  we  finally 
bade  each  other  farewell,  perhaps  only  to  meet  in  heaven.  Our 
friends  had  already  accomplished  their  first  stage,  and  our 
appalling  solitude  was  a  reality.  That,  for  the  time  being,  is  the 
hardest  of  our  trials,  and  the  most  difficult  to  accept  submis- 
sively. Aaron  says  he  will  come  back.  Will  he  indeed  ?  And 
Levi — will  he  ?  Does  their  departure  really  mean  the  rupture 
of  the  bond  which  still  attached  us  to  Basuto-land  ?  For  my 
part,  I  say  NO,  and  I  say  it  unhesitatingly. 

In  Levi  and  Aaron,  we  are  losing  two  earnest  Christians 
and  choice  evangelists.  What  with  his  wife  being  always 
ill,  and  with  the  unfavourable  inclinations  of  the  people  at 
Sesheke,  which  made  it  impossible  to  have  a  regular  school 
there,  Levi  may  practically  have  been  of  little  use ;  but  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  he  was  a  moral  force  for  us — and  that 
is  something.  As  for  Aaron,  it  is  ten  years  since  he  left  his 
country.  On  our  return  from  Banyai-land,  he  remained  with 
Asser  and  Andreas  at  Seleka,  where  he  worked  with  rare 
devotion,  supplying  the  needs  of  his  family  by  his  own  industry, 
when  the  Basuto  War  deprived  them  of  all  help.  He  ac- 
companied us  to  the  Zambesi,  where  he  worked  hard. 
Converted  at  too  advanced  an  age  to  enter  a  school,  he  has 
educated  himself  by  his  own  efforts.  He  knows  very  little, 
but  he  possesses  the  precious  gift  of  imparting  to  others  the 
little  he  knows.  He  had  acquired  a  great  influence  in  the 
country ;  he  leaves  many  regrets  behind  him,  but  he  also 
leaves  the  beautiful  picture  of  a  native  Christian  family  as  a 
souvenir.  Our  evangelists  quit  us  with  an  affection  we  heartily 
reciprocate.  They  will  not  be  lost  to  us  :  in  Basuto-land,  they 
will  make  the  Zambesi  known  and  the  mission  beloved. 

Sefula,  Dccc7nber  i^th,  1888. 

Here  we  are  all  alone  ;  and  while  writing  these  words,  I  do 
indeed  feel  that  solitude  is  stretching  immensely — indefinitely — 
far  in  every  direction.  If  we  were  in  want  of  immediate  help, 
whence  could  it  come?  Happily,  we  have  long  since  learnt 
that  "  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in 
trouble  "  (Fr.  Vcr.  :  uu  asilc  fort  aisc  a  tnnwcr). 

I  confess  that,  before  the  departure  of  our  friends,  the 
prospect  of  remaining  quite  alone  frightened    me  not  a  little. 


i888]  A   HEDGE-SCHOOL  339 

Above  all,  I  dreaded  the  school,  with  its  implacable  regularity. 
God  had  compassion  on  us.  He  has  made  the  arduous  task 
a  source  of  enjoyment.  The  school  could  not  very  well  lose 
anything  in  our  hands,  although  I  recognise  in  Aaron  certain 
special  aptitudes  I  do  not  myself  possess.  The  number  of 
scholars  has  increased,  and  continues  to  increase  every  week. 
We  have  now  sixty-five  pupils,  who  all,  with  few  exceptions, 
live  on  the  premises.  The  king  has  even  permitted  a  few  of 
his  young  servants  to  come  to  Sefula  to  attend  school.  An 
excellent  and  enthusiastic  spirit  prevails  among  our  young  men. 
You  would  not  think  they  were  the  same  brigands  of  last  year. 
They  are  respectful,  and  full  of  attentions  toward  us.  Instead 
of  devouring  our  sheep  (it  is  true  we  have  no  more  sheep  to  be 
devoured),  they  go  on  Saturdays  (which  are  always  holidays) 
to  hunt  for  us,  and  dispute  with  one  another  the  privilege  ot 
rendering  us  small  services.  When  they  knock  down  an  ox, 
or  their  slaves  return  from  fishing,  a  portion  is  always  reserved 
for  the  "  Father  and  Mother."  It  would  not  do  to  attach  too 
much  importance  to  all  that.  I  only  draw  attention  to  these 
good  inclinations,  to  show  you  that  God,  in  answer  to  our 
prayers,  remembers  that  our  courage  is  a  climbing  plant,  which 
cannot  sustain  itself,  and  needs  props  ;  and  those  props  He  has 
given  us. 

The  three  hours  (we  are  going  to  give  four)  which  we  pass 
every  day  with  these  children  are  happy  ones,  and  we  always 
feel  sorry  when  the  moment  comes  to  dismiss  them.  We 
always  fancy  we  could  have  made  better  use  of  the  time.  It  is 
a  hard  task,  all  the  same,  to  teach  sixty-five  children  with  three 
blackboards  (one  of  them  a  box-lid  covered  with  wax-cloth), 
four  books,  and  six  slates.  And  all  that  in  the  open  air,  amid 
every  kind  of  distraction.  One  has  to  make  shift,  and  multiply 
oneself  The  system  of  monitors  suits  us  admirably.  Some- 
times comical  incidents  occur  to  infringe  discipline,  as  when 
people  come  to  sell  their  produce,  and,  emerging  from  the  wood, 
are  astonished  at  falling  into  the  midst  of  these  bana  ba  Marena 
(children  of  the  chiefs),  who  were  always  robbing  them  last 
year.  You  would  then  see  them  set  down  their  baskets,  and 
begin  to  clap  hands  ;  whereupon  our  young  princes  tell  them 
that  "  at  school  there  are  no  princes,"  and  that  they  must  not 
salute  them. 


340  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1888 

Sometimes,  too,  there  are  serious  occurrences.  The  Barotsi 
brought  back  a  great  number  of  dogs  with  them  from  the 
Mashukulumboe  ;  and  all  these  dogs  have  been  attacked  with 
hydrophobia.  They  are  running  all  about  the  country,  attack- 
ing men  and  beasts.  Already  many  cattle  and  several  persons 
have  in  their  turn  died  of  rabies.  One  day,  when  I  was  talking 
to  the  king,  standing  in  his  court  amid  a  crowd  of  men  crouch- 
ing round,  one  of  these  mad  dogs  came  and  bit  my  leg. 
Happily,  I  had  on  thick  canvas  trousers,  and  he  only  pinched 
me.  Before  he  could  return  to  the  charge,  they  had  already 
clubbed  him  to  death.  Here  on  the  station,  we  have  killed 
at  least  twenty  of  them.  You  can  understand  the  agitation 
which  the  appearance  of  one  of  these  dogs  creates  among  our 
classes. 

To  return  to  the  school.  I  fear  we  shall  soon  be  quite 
overcrowded.  The  king,  irritated  by  Mokwae's  intrigues  to  give 
Aaron's  daughter  to  his  son  Litia  for  a  wife,  has  seen  to  the 
matter  himself,  and  has  chosen  their  future  consorts  for  him 
and  his  nephew  :  little  girls  whom  we  now  have  to  put  into 
shape  and  polish  up.  Our  house  will  soon  be  crammed.  These 
good  people  cannot  understand  that  a  missionary's  wife  can 
be  crushed  beneath  so  much  work  and  so  many  cares.  They 
beg  us  importunately,  "  Receive  our  children  ;  they  have  a 
multitude  of  slaves  who  will  work  for  them,  and  we  will  supply 
their  food."  That  is  to  say,  one  day's  abundance  for  five  days' 
famine.  I  hesitate  very  much  about  beginning  an  establish- 
ment for  the  young  princesses  like  that  of  Litia  and  his 
companions. 

I  was  owing  Lealuyi  my  monthly  or  bi-monthly  visit 
(according  as  you  reckon  by  theory  or  practice).  The  king 
gave  me  no  peace  with  his  importunities.  But  who  would 
take  my  place  here  while  I  was  preaching  over  there  ?  After 
much  hesitation,  my  dear  wife  summoned  all  her  courage,  and 
rather  than  send  our  little  audience  empty  away,  she  bravely 
performed  the  services  and  explained  the  Word  of  God.  And 
I  know  that  all  those  who  listened  were  very  much  interested. 
Henceforth,  when  I  absent  myself,  I  shall  know  that  Sefula 
will  lose  nothing,  as  long  as  my  wife  is  not  laid  up. 

Nguana-Ngombe  also  took  his  little  part  in  the  second 
service,  and  said  some  excellent  things.     He  spoke  on,  "  Take 


1888]  NGUANA-NGOMBfi'S   SERMON  34I 

no  thought  for  what  ye  shall  eat."  "  When  I  took  service  with 
the  missionary,"  he  said,  "a  gun  was  the  object  of  all  my 
desires.  I  often  asked  myself  when  my  time  would  be  up, 
and  I  should  possess  it.  When  I  had  got  it,  I  thought  myself 
the  happiest  man  in  the  world.  A  gun  !  My  gun  !  It  was 
never  out  of  my  thoughts.  I  used  to  get  up  in  the  night  to 
make  sure  I  really  possessed  it.  I  was  always  admiring  it. 
But  now  that  I  know  the  Lord  Jesus,  it  is  He  who  has  taken 
possession  of  all  my  thoughts  and  all  my  love,  and  I  almost 
forget  that  I  have  a  gun.  It  is  there,  hung  up  at  the  head  of 
my  bed,  for  days  and  days  together,  without  my  ever  looking 
at  it.  When  I  hear  some  one  talking  about  a  gun,  I  say  to 
myself,  '  To  be  sure,  I  have  a  gun  myself,  so  I  have  ! '  When 
I  began  to  care  for  instruction,  I  longed  for  a  shirt.  Now  I 
like  to  have  clothes,  but  they  come  to  me  without  my  having 
to  worry  about  them."  He  is  a  dear  boy.  I  should  like  to 
make  a  good  evangelist  of  him. 

The  king,  too,  is  well  disposed  ;  but  that  is  all.  And  yet  his 
thirst  for  the  things  of  God  is  very  remarkable.  When  Aaron 
and  M.  Goy  went  to  pay  their  farewell  visit  to  him,  they  were 
to  come  back,  and  spend  the  last  Sunday  with  us,  and  we  were 
to  have  the  Communion.  Unfortunately,  the  rain  kept  them, 
and  delayed  them  till  Saturday  evening  at  Lealuyi.  The  king 
counted  on  their  staying  for  Sunday ;  our  friends  did  not  feel 
free  to  do  so,  and  came  back.  It  was  a  mistake,  for  which  I 
am  in  great  part  responsible,  and  which  I  have  bitterly  regretted. 
Lewanika  himself  could  not  understand  it  at  all.  He  sent  me 
a  letter  written  by  Seajika,  in  which  he  poured  out  his  sorrow. 
"  What !  two  missionaries  leave  us  on  a  Saturday  evening,  when 
we  were  rejoicing  so  much  in  having  them  for  Sunday.  I 
don't  understand  you  !  " 

This  goodwill  on  the  king's  part  makes  many  things  easy, 
although  we  must  not  count  too  much  upon  it.  The  chiefs 
— those  that  live  round  us — make  it  a  point  of  honour  to 
be  on  good  terms  with  us.  Those  who  made  us  suffer  most 
last  year  are  the  greatest  help  for  our  work.  If  only  it  were 
the  same  at  Sesheke ! 


CHAPTER   XXI 

A  Serious  Talk  with  Levvanika — Queen  Mokwae — Ex-queen  Maibiba — At 
Death's  Door — Improvement  in  the  School — Sickness  and  Mortality — 
Hostility  at  Nalolo — Break-up  of  the  School — The  Mokwe  Tunga  and 
his  Troubles — Nalolo  to  Lealuyi — The  Nalihianda — A  Prodigal's  Return 
— Losses  of  Cattle — A  Mining  Concession. 

Sefula,  Dccejtiber  i(^th,  1888. 

A  VISIT  of  some  days  at  LeaJuyi  with  my  oldest  pupils. 
The  king  was  affable  and  chatty  as  usual.  If  the  Barotsi 
were  not  such  flatterers  and  so  false,  I  should  think  he  was 
not  far  from  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  We  were  speaking  one 
evening  of  our  life  at  Leshoma,  and  of  the  countless  difficulties 
which  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke  created  for  me.  "  There  is  nothing 
surprising  in  that,"  remarked  Levvanika.  "  When  you  came  the 
first  time,  ten  years  ago,  the  Barotsi,  suspecting  your  intentions, 
hastily  consulted  the  bones  and  administered  the  moati  "  (a  viru- 
lent poison)  "to  a  number  of  fowls.  Some  died;  others  did  not: 
hence  the  ambiguous  messages  which  reached  you.  They  dared 
not  frankly  forbid  you  to  enter  the  country,  and  yet  they  were 
afraid  to  receive  you  ;  and  they  tried  by  every  kind  of  device 
to  block  up  your  path  and  discourage  you.  The  cloak  you  then 
sent  me  I  never  saw,  any  more  than  your  subsequent  presents. 
They  were  declared  to  be  bewitched,  and  were  stopped  on  the 
way.  What  surprises  me  is  that  you  had  the  courage  to  come 
back,  and  that  you  are  here." 

I  was  speaking  on  the  subject  of  my  first  journey  to  the 
Valley,  and  my  visit  to  Tatira.  Lewanika  interrupted  me,  and 
asked  in  a  tone  which  demanded  a  reply,  "  Tell  me  now,  what 
did  they  say  about  me  ?  What  was  I  being  accused  of?  I  could 
get  nothing  but  evasive  answers  out  of  the  Barotsi  who  remainec} 
here.     I  know  you  will  tell  me  the  truth." 


1 888]  LEWANIKA'S    CRUELTY  343 

I  looked  steadily  at  him,  "  Do  you  really  not  know  what 
they  accused  you  of?" 

"  No,  and  I  wish  to  know." 

"  Well,  they  accused  you  of  killint^  people  without  cause  and 
without  pity." 

"  Is  that  really  true?  "  His  countenance  grew  dark.  "  How 
many  people  did  they  say  I  had  put  to  death  ?  " 

"  A  great  many.  They  especially  related  how  you  had  starved 
one  of  your  brothers  to  death  in  an  enclosure  made  on  purpose 
close  to  the  village ;  and  how,  in  a  single  day,  you  had  had 
seven  Barotsi  chiefs  killed  while  they  were  drinking  the  beer 
that  you  had  given  them  in  order  to  deceive  them." 

After  a  few  moments'  silence  :  "  It  is  all  true,"  he  said,  "but 
the  fault  lay  with  Mathaha  himself  and  his  party." 

He  then  told  me  how  his  unfortunate  young  brother,  at 
Mathaha's  secret  instigation,  intrigued  to  get  possession  of  the 
power,  and  how  Mathaha  and  his  partisans  accused  Livingstone's 
old  servant  Mashawana,  and  other  chiefs,  of  plotting  against  the 
king,  and  gave  themselves  no  rest  till  they  could  get  sentence 
of  death  passed  upon  them.* 

Poor  Lewanika !  I  pitied  him  deeply ;  for  even  though  we 
talked  a  long  while  and  of  many  things,  his  brow  was  still 
clouded,  and  from  time  to  time  he  let  slip  expressions  which 
betrayed  the  agitation  of  his  thoughts.  At  last,  getting  the 
mastery  over  himself,  and  affecting  a  tone  of  gaiety,  he  said, 
"  I  must  speak  to  you  of  two  absences  I  have  in  view.  I  am 
first  going  to  Ruena  to  snare  antelopes.  My  second  absence  " 
(with  a  questioning  look  at  me)  "  is  a  pilgrimage  to  the  tomb 
of  Katuramoa.  The  guardian  of  this  village  has  dreamt  that 
Katuramoa — a  former  king— has  called  me,  and  demands  the 
sacrifice  of  an  ox." 

"  What !  you  to  go  and  pray  to  the  dead  !  The  worthy  man 
might  just  as  well  have  asked  you  for  an  ox  without  dreaming, 
and  without  obliging  you  to  bring  it  to  him  yourself!  And 
then,  you  know  now  that  praying  to  the  dead  is  offending  God." 

*  Lewanika  had  bis  brother  swathed  round  and  round  in  an  entire  web  of 
cloth,  so  that  he  was  quite  helpless,  then  loaded  with  beads  and  other  royal 
ornaments  ("that  he  might  go  to  his  fathers,"  the  king  said,  "in  a  manner 
worthy  of  his  rank"),  and  placed  under  a  tree  which  still  sliades  the  Ickhothla. 
A  high  palisade  was  tiien  built  all  round  him,  and  he  was  left  to  starve. 


344  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1888 

"  You  are  right.  But  when  I  am  a  believer,  I  shall  not  go 
and  pray  to  the  dead  any  more,  and  you  will  see  if  I  don't 
keep  my  word.  Meanwhile,  I  must  yield  to  the  Barotsi  ;  they 
don't  understand  your  teaching,  you  know." 

"  And  when  will  you  become  a  believer,  Lewanika?" 

"  When  I  quite  know  how  to  read,  and  when  I  am  better 
instructed  in  the  things  of  God." 

"  Why  should  you  wait,  tell  me  ?  Has  not  your  conscience 
often  told  you  that  you  have  done  evil,  and  much  evil  ?  " 

He  grew  pensive  and  hung  his  head.  "  Ah  !  "  he  sighed,  "  it 
is  a  terrible  thing  to  be  a  king.  When  I  was  only  a  private 
person,  they  said  I  was  an  exemplary  young  man.  I  delighted 
in  hunting ;  and  when  I  was  not  hunting,  I  was  carving  wood. 
As  a  child,  I  once  thrashed  an  urchin  of  my  own  age  ;  later 
on,  I  sent  away  Litia's  mother,  my  first  wife,  because  of  her 
immoral  conduct.  And  that  was  all.  They  ruined  me  when 
they  made  a  king  of  me.  I  have  become  a  corrupt  and  blood- 
stained man  !  " 

He  paused.  After  one  of  those  silences  which  are  more 
eloquent  than  torrents  of  words,  we  fell  upon  our  knees,  and 
I  prayed  for  him. 

I  had  scarcely  returned  to  Sefula  before  Mokwae  came  to 
spend  ten  days  with  us — as  usual  with  a  numerous  suite.  If 
only  she  could  travel  more  simply !  Her  young  girls  are  so 
arrogant !  They  think  themselves  at  liberty  to  do  anything. 
Mokwae  tried  to  make  herself  agreeable  :  I  think  she  followed 
the  sewing  lessons  at  school  with  interest.  One  day,  the  rain 
surprised  us,  and  we  had  to  seek  shelter  in  our  "  tabernacle," 
which  is  now  half  roofed  in.  To  maintain  order,  I  conducted 
my  pupils  in  procession  ;  Mokwae  placed  herself  at  the  tail, 
and  behind  her,  first  her  husband,  then  her  councillors,  and  then 
her  servants.  We  managed  to  keep  our  countenances  all  the 
same.  One  evening,  they  came  to  call  me  in  a  great  hurry. 
"  The  queen  has  eaten  fish,  and  she  is  choking  I "  A  good 
mouthful  of  bread-crumbs  which  I  made  her  swallow  soon  pro- 
duced the  desired  effect.  Unfortunately,  two  of  her  men  were 
attacked  with  ophthalmia,  which  is  raging  here  ;  and  a  third 
had  an  attack  of  fever.  That  sufficed  to  frighten  the  queen  and 
fill  her  with  apprehension.  So,  the  next  day  at  dawn,  she  had 
packed  up  her  baggage,  and  hurriedly  took  leave  of  us. 


1889]  THE    EX-QUEEN    MAIBIBA  345 

I  once  interested  our  European  friends  in  Maibiba,  who  had 
been  made  queen  during  the  time  of  the  usurper  Tatira,  and 
who  pleased  me  so  much  on  my  first  visit  to  the  Valley.^  I  had 
often  enquired  after  her,  and  Mokwae  ahvays  answered  with 
ill-humour.  The  king,  however,  assured  me  that  she  was  still 
alive,  that  she  had  fled  to  Lekhoa  Khoa,  where  Tatira  came 
from,  and  that  he  would  send  for  her. 

He  kept  his  word.  Imagine  my  astonishment  the  other 
day  at  Lealuyi,  when  I  recognised  her  among  a  gang  of  women 
who  were  kneading  mud  to  plaster  the  fine  hut  Lcwanika  has 
had  built  for  us.  Our  eyes  met,  and  her  pleasant  smile  betrayed 
her  at  once.  "  What !  is  it  you,  Maibiba  ?  "  "  Yes,"  she  replied  ; 
"  I  saw  you  before,  but  you  did  not  recognise  me,  and  I  did 
not  dare  to  come  and  speak  to  you."  Although  Mokwae's  eye 
was  upon  her,  she  found  an  opportunity  of  coming  to  tell  me 
her  adventures. 

The  king  had  been  kind  to  her.  When  he  sent  for  her, 
he  allowed  her  to  choose  a  new  husband.  "  Leave  me  in  the 
shade,"  she  had  begged  of  him,  "  far  away  from  the  borena  "  (the 
governing  class  in  all  its  ranks)  ;  "  I  have  always  dreaded  it." 
She  chose  for  herself  a  Mo-Mbunda,  who  is  not  even  the  chief 
of  a  village  ;  and  she  says  she  is  happy,  poor  creature  !  She 
is  still  just  the  same,  frank  and  amiable,  and  she  is  treated 
with  respect. 

Febi'i/afy  \st,  1889. 

Propping  myself  heavily  on  a  stick,  wrapped  in  my  dressing- 
gown,  my  head  swimming,  painfully  dragging  one  leg  after  the 
other,  I  feel  I  am  coming  back  from  the  confines  of  another 
world.     A  glance  tells  me  as  much,  on  entering  my  study. 

In  the  middle  of  our  New  Year's  festival,  I  felt  the  first 
symptoms  of  what  I  thought  to  be  nothing  but  an  attack  of 
fever.  Three  days  after,  I  was  betwixt  life  and  death.  Who 
does  not  know  how  wholesome  it  is  to  be  thus  taken  out  of 
the  scenes  of  active  life,  where  it  is  so  difficult  to  retire  into 
oneself,  and  to  be  suddenly  transported  into  the  isolation 
of  sickness,  even  to  the  threshold  of  eternity?  But  who  can 
enter  into  the  anguish  of  that  woman  left  alone  to  bear  a  load 
already  too  heavy  for  two — alone  to  follow  and  battle  with  the 

'  See  Part  II.  p.  171. 


346  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

rapid  procuress  of  the  disease,  and  threatened  with  the  prospect 
of  finding  herself  yet  more  alone  in  the  midst  of  these  savage 
tribes,  and  so  far  from  any  help  ? 

But  God  is  good.  I  was  not  indispensable  to  His  work ;  and 
yet  He  still  desired  to  make  use  of  me.  Fie  is  gently  leading 
me  back  to  life.  Every  one  is  doing  his  best  not  to  interfere 
with  my  convalescence.  Our  scholars  have  left  off  their  games  ; 
our  boys  and  girls  are  making  themselves  as  scarce  as  if  they 
were  mice. 

Nguana-Ngombe,  meanwhile,  took  the  command  of  our 
work-people.  He  kneaded  the  bread,  churned  the  butter,  and 
washed  the  linen  overnight.  At  daybreak,  he  distributed  the 
food  to  everybody,  conducted  prayers,  served  our  breakfast, 
and,  without  even  taking  time  to  eat,  went  off,  his  spade  on 
his  shoulder,  at  the  head  of  his  troop.  And  in  the  evening,  the 
good  boy  fed  all  our  staff,  and  prepared  and  served  the  dinner 
as  though  he  had  not  left  the  kitchen.  I  really  do  not  know 
what  he  is  made  of.  And  all  the  time,  he  is  growing  taller  and 
taller  as  fast  as  he  can. 

February  \2th. 
Sefula  has  become  a  hospital.  My  strength  is  only  coming 
back  slowly,  and  now  my  wife  is  ill  in  her  turn.  For  a  long 
time,  she  has  been  ailing,  and  now  she  is  confined  to  bed. 
Our  friend  Waddell,  who  was  so  well  before,  is  also  out  of 
health.  In  spite  of  my  great  weakness,  you  see  I  have  to  be 
sick-nurse  in  my  turn,  and  doctor  too.  This  evening,  Nguana- 
Ngombe  had  lit  a  candle  and  served  dinner  as  usual — a  dinner 
such  as  we  do  not  often  have  :  for  Litia  had  sent  us  some 
beef;  and  Sepopa,  the  result  of  his  hunting.  We  had  to  cook 
it  all,  for  nothing  keeps  here.  But  when  I,  a  poor  convalescent, 
sat  down  to  table  all  alone,  this  profusion  seemed  to  me  like 
irony,  and  my  courage  failed  me. 

Fcbi'iiary  24///. 
Began  school  again  some  little  time  ago.  It  is  a  great 
responsibility  to  have  so  many  boys  on  one's  hands.  Forced 
idleness  always  engenders  a  bad  spirit.  I  was  afraid,  too,  that 
my  boys  would  begin  to  be  discouraged,  and  to  disperse.  I 
first  got  them  together  for  half  an  hour,  and  set  the  most 
advanced  to    teach  the    others.     Directly  the    news  spread,  all 


i889]  litia's  influence  347 

the  absentees  came  back,  and  our  list  rose  to  eighty-five.  Is  it 
not  singular  that  this  rcmnrkablc  development  of  the  school 
should  coincide  with  all  our  illnesses,  and  with  the  departure  of 
Aaron,  who  is  now  making  a  wayside  call  of  six  or  eight  months 
at  Sesheke,  where  they  did  not  need  him  at  all  ? 

My  wife,  too,  is  now  able  to  drag  herself  as  far  as  the  tree 
which  shades  our  school,  and  takes  her  share  of  teaching. 
Oh  that  school !  how  it  has  taken  hold  of  our  hearts,  and 
what  a  place  it  occupies  in  our  thoughts  and  prayers ! 

The  construction  of  our  temporary  chapel  advances.  I 
had  the  idea  of  setting  our  pupils  to  carry  sand  and  collect 
cow  dung,  to  level  the  floor  and  plaster  the  walls.  That 
occupies  them  for  an  hour  every  two  or  three  days.  But  you 
should  have  seen  with  what  zeal  they  set  to  work,  Litia  and 
all  the  young  chiefs  at  their  head.  When  they  have  finished 
their  small  task,  they  form  themselves  into  a  procession,  and 
file  past  the  door,  singing  in  two  parts — 

Boroisi,  fatsi  la  bontata  roua  ;  (Borotsi,  land  of  our  fathers ; 

Gar'a  ma  fatse,  Ic  lethle  ke  lofia .'     Of  all  lands,  it  is  the  fairest.) 

Certainly,  one  need  be  born  a  Morotsi  to  sing  that  as  they  do  ! 
For  the  moment,  there  is  no  more  popular  ditty  in  Lealuyi. 
At  this  moment,  a  house  is  being  built  for  Monde,  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Mokwae :  she  has  reached  a  marriageable  age, 
so  they  are  going  to  bestow  a  husband  upon  her  ;  and  then 
she  will  begin  her  education.  Likokoane,  one  of  the  king's 
nephews,  is  just  married,  and  his  wife,  a  gentle  young  girl, 
attends  school  with  him.  However,  this  can  only  be  temporary, 
for  Likokoane's  village  is  at  Kanyonyo.  All  our  pupils,  great 
and  small,  who  are  born  Barotsi,  have  their  own  villages. 
Otherwise,  I  should  say  that  ours,  that  of  the  mission  station, 
is  growing  in  importance.  It  is  now  an  agglomeration  of  huts, 
built  round  and  round.  In  the  middle  are  the  houses  of  "  the 
king's  children."  Litia,  by  his  father's  orders,  surrounds  him- 
self with  an  etiquette  which  forbids  familiarity,  and  safeguards 
his  authority  among  this  mob  of  boys  and  slaves.  But,  in 
school,  it  is  now  admitted  that  there  shall  be  no  distinctions ; 
masters  and  slaves  mingle  in  the  classes,  and  teach  each  other. 
That  is  a  decided  step  forward.  The  principle  is  so  well 
understood,  that  the  king's  daughters,  who  live  in   our  house, 


348  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1S89 

have  learnt  not  only  to  do  without  their  maids,  but  even  to  do 
household  work,  just  like  the  little  slave  girls  they  found  here 
with  us. 

I  have  recommenced  my  Saturday  excursions  through  the 
hamlets  dotted  about  in  the  marshes  surrounding  the  Valley. 
We  have  scarcely  any  audience  unless  I  go  and  get  it  together 
in  this  way.  The  question  of  family  life  here  is  a  fathomless 
quagmire.  If  I  ask  a  Morotsi  to  send  his  children  to  school, 
he  sometimes  replies  that  the  school  is  not  for  the  serfs 
{batlankd)  ;  most  frequently,  he  pleads  as  an  excuse  that  he 
has  no  children — he  has  had  one  or  two,  but  Nyanibe  (God) 
caused  them  to  die.  It  is  perfectly  true  that  our  Zambesians 
have  very  small  families,  and  that — in  a  certain  class  at  any 
rate — the  prospect  of  paternity  is  looked  upon  as  such  a  mis- 
fortune that  divorce  frequently  follows.  But  it  is  also  true 
that  these  poor  people  hide  their  children,  as  the  Basuto  do 
their  cattle,  and  one  can  understand  why. 

First  days  of  March. 

Monde  arrived  at  our  place  as  a  royal  bride,  her  arms 
loaded  with  ivory  bracelets,  her  head  and  neck  covered  with 
beads.  Her  retinue  was  worthy  of  her  rank.  Nevertheless, 
she  quickly  caught  up  with  the  rest  of  the  school.  Of  her 
own  accord,  she  discarded  some  of  her  ornaments,  and  put 
herself  on  a  level  with  the  others,  contenting  herself  with  a 
mat  instead  of  pillowing  herself  on  a  slave ;  and  .she  was 
already  triumphing  over  ABC,  when  some  clandestine  love 
passages  with  a  cousin  whom  she  would  have  liked  to  marry 
irritated  the  king,  and  he  sent  for  her  immediately.  Poor 
child  !  they  have  given  her  a  young  man  she  does  not  like 
for  a  husband.  They  have  threatened  her  with  duckings — an 
old  wives'  cure  for  such  cases,  which  is  said  to  be  very 
efficacious.  But  it  is  all  of  no  use.  Monde  has  a  will  of  her 
own.  The  king  asks  for  my  advice,  I  tell  him  he  should 
have  done  that  sooner.  Such  cases  are  not  uncommon  in 
this  country ;  but  as  marriages  are  dissolved  as  easily  as  they 
are  made,  it  does  not  matter  much.  There  are  no  unhappy 
couples  here  ;  if  people  do  not  get  on  together,  the  husband 
seeks  another  wife,  and  the  wife  another  husband,  and  all 
is  said  and  done. 


iSSg]  DISEASE   AND    DEATH  349 

Death  is  never  idle  at  the  Zambesi,  and  generally  ac- 
complishes his  work  with  appalling  rapidity.  There  is  poor 
Mr.  Westbeech  ;  he  has  just  succumbed,  while  travelling,  at 
the  Jesuits'  place  in  Marico.  How  many  blanks  during  these 
ten  years,  even  during  these  five  years,  in  this  small  world 
of  the  Zambesi !  All  the  Europeans  I  have  known,  and 
almost  all  the  half-breeds  (who  are  also  personages  here), 
have  passed  away :  Westbeech,  Blockley,  Dr.  Bradshaw, 
Afrika, — that  is  a  long  list  already.  Mamochesane,  too, 
whom  I  saw  when  I  first  went  to  the  Valley,  the  daughter  of 
the  powerful  Sebetoane,  died  last  year,  in  a  condition  not  far 
removed  from  abject  misery  and  neglect.^ 

I  spoke  to  you  about  the  mad  dogs  which  have  been  the 
scourge  of  the  country  since  the  Mashukulumboe  expedition. 
After  the  dogs,  it  was  the  turn  of  the  cattle  ;  and  with  them 
the  disease  is  always  fatal.  But  more  serious  is  the  fact  that 
a  corresponding  disease  is  now  raging  among  the  human  beings. 
With  some,  it  is  a  passing  insanity  ;  with  others,  it  takes  the 
form  of  madness,  such  that  they  have  to  be  garrotted.  Several 
have  succumbed  to  it.  Just  at  this  time  it  is  Seoli,  one  of  the 
most  influential  councillors.  The  same  day,  his  first  wife  died 
also  ;  and  two  days  later,  another  of  his  wives.  A  cry  of 
witchcraft  would  have  been  raised  for  much  less,  and  public 
opinion  had  already  identified  the  sorcerer  ;  it  could  only  be 
the  unfortunate  Liomba,"  with  whom  Seoli  had  had  a  crow  to 
pluck,  and  they  loudly  demanded  his  trial  and  death.  The 
king,  in  order,  I  believe,  to  shield  him  from  his  enemies,  sent 
him  with  Karumba  to  sell  ivory  at  Kazungula.  Liomba  was 
afraid  of  falling  into  a  trap,  and  confided  his  terrors  to  me, 
as  if  I  could  help  him  !  Still,  I  hope  that  the  era  of  clandestine 
murders  has  passed  away,  and  that  the  Gospel  has  brought 
peace  and  security  into  this  unhappy  country. 

April  %th. 

We  are  passing  through  a  crisis.  The  number  of  our  pupils 
had  exceeded  a  hundred.  The  prevailing  disposition  was  excel- 
lent :  everybody  exhibited  interest  and  enthusiasm,  an  entirely 

*  See  Livingstone's  "Travels  on  the  Zambesi." 
»  See  pages  332,  333. 


350  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

new  spirit  of  submission  to  discipline,  and  of  respect  towards 
us.  Our  task  had  become  easy ;  it  was  a  real  pleasure.  Then, 
first  we  had  a  perfect  epidemic  of  ulcers  among  our  boys — 
those  African  ulcers,  which  resist  all  ordinary  remedies,  eat 
away  the  flesh  in  an  appalling  way,  and  often  cause  death. 
They  were  the  despair  of  Livingstone,  and  they  are  the 
terror  of  the  Barotsi.  Strange  to  say,  all  the  boys  and 
girls  living  in  our  house  have  escaped  it,  but  we  have  lost  a 
score  of  other  pupils,  who  have  returned  to  their  parents  to 
be  treated. 

But  here  is  something  much  more  serious.  Nalolo,  which 
has  never  been  favourable  to  us,  is  now  opposing  us  openly. 
Mokwae  is  ill  ;  indeed,  very  ill,  they  tell  us.  What  do  the 
diviners  say? — the  bones  and  the  gods?  I  do  not  know;  but 
evidently  it  is  nothing  good  about  us.  Mokwae  has  sent  for  her 
children  ;  and  all  her  people,  one  after  another,  have  done  the 
same.  And  these  children  from  Nalolo  were  the  flower  of  our 
school !  More  than  thirty  have  departed  already,  without  even 
bidding  us  good-bye.  They  were  watched  for  as  they  came  out 
of  school  :  people  even  came  at  night,  hurried  them  into  canoes, 
and  fled  with  them.  Poor  Barotsi,  they  have  not  much  moral 
courage.  These  proceedings,  which  have  taken  us  by  surprise, 
trouble  us  very  much.  How  long  will  the  others  stay  with  us  ? 
Yet  it  does  not  do  to  show  our  grief  too  openly  ;  we  must 
keep  that  to  ourselves.  Discouraged  as  our  hearts  are,  may 
God  give  us  grace  still  to  carry  on  this  ruined  school  with 
energy  and  spirit ! 

Here  is  another  letter  from  the  king,  the  third,  I  believe, 
and  little  calculated  to  reassure  us.  The  porters,  being  charged 
at  the  same  time  with  verbal  messages,  enable  us  to  read 
between  the  lines.  "  O  my  missionary,"  writes  Lewanika,  "  the 
Barotsi  say  I  am  going  mad.  They  scoff  at  Seajika  and  his 
teaching.  They  ask  what  good  the  Book  has  done  them.  Never 
have  we  had  so  many  calamities  as  since  your  arrival :  never 
have  so  many  men  died  ! "...  I  do  not  yet  know  the  cause 
of  this  hostile  spirit,  but  it  is  very  real.  Sepopa  and  Likokoane 
confessed  to  me  that,  during  their  last  visit  to  Nalolo,  Mokwae 
forbade  them  to  sing  hymns  in  her  village.  Litia  has  con- 
fidentially informed  me  that  one  party  loudly  demands  our 
expulsion,  and  that  twice  already  it  has  been  discussed  in  the 


1889]  A    ROYAL    INVALID  35  I 

kashandi.      Hence     the     king's    doleful     letters.      And     poor 
Lewanika,  whom  we  know  to  be  so  weak,  will  he  stand  up 

for  us  ? 

April  \oth,  1889. 

The  breaking-up  of  our  school  still  goes  on.  Rather  than 
let  it  melt  away  altogether,  we  are  giving  three  weeks'  holiday, 
and  I  am  taking  advantage  of  it  to  go  and  visit  Nalolo  and 
Lealuyi.  I  must  get  some  light  on  the  situation.  It  is  Mu7ida 
(flood-time) ;  the  plain  is  partly  inundated.  The  moment  she 
heard  of  my  intentions,  Mokwae  sent  me  one  of  her  canoes. 
My  eldest  pupils,  Litia  the  first  among  them,  have  insisted  on 
paddling  me,  and  do  it  with  delight.  They  are  not  very  expert, 
and  my  dug-out  rolls  and  fills  with  water  in  such  a  fashion  as 
to  make  one  a  little  nervous.     Never  mind. 

We  arrived.  I  was  not  kept  long  waiting.  Mokwae  sent 
for  me  with  Litia.  They  conducted  me  through  I  know  not 
how  many  courts  until  we  reached  her  hut  of  mats.  At  each 
passage,  a  servant  was  waiting  for  us,  to  pour  water  over  our 
feet,  and  spread  burning  embers  before  us.  Thus  we  had 
to  pass  through  fire  and  through  water — the  flames  must  touch 
our  feet ;  and  after  this  ceremony  of  exorcism,  we  were  fit  to 
appear  before  Mokwae.  She  was  enthroned  upon  a  mat,  with 
all  the  dignity  of  an  invalid  of  her  rank,  surrounded  with 
favourite  servants  and  courtiers.  All  their  faces  were  stony. 
The  Mokwe  Tmiga  (the  Prince  Consort)  spoke  little  and  very 
shortly.  I  questioned  my  patient,  heard  to  the  end  the  graphic 
description  of  her  illness,  and,  satisfied  with  my  diagnosis,  I 
took  leave.  In  the  evening,  I  returned,  administered  pills,  and 
myself  prepared  a  cup  of  cocoa,  which  her  Majesty  found  very 
much  to  her  liking.  She  had  a  good  night,  and  the  next  day 
she  was  overflowing  with  admiration  for  my  pills,  of  which 
she  wanted  a  supply,  and  a  good  supply  too. 

The  ice  was  broken  ;  faces  had  brightened  up,  and  tongues 
were  loosened.  Mokwae  protested  that  she  had  only  sent  for 
her  children  in  order  to  see  them  before  she  died,  for  she 
believed  herself  to  be  dying,  and  she  assured  me  they  should 
return  to  Sefula  as  soon  as  I  did.  From  other  sources,  I  learnt 
that  one  of  the  grievances  against  me  was  that  I  made  the 
Barotsi  children  do  the  work  of  slaves.^  And  then  my 
*  E.g.  collecting  sand,  etc.,  for  the  chapel  floor  (see  page  347). 


352  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1889 

evancrelising  tours  offended  the  chiefs :  they,  who  can  only 
make  themselves  obeyed  by  force,  cannot  understand  that 
people  assemble  at  my  simple  invitation.  Another  grievance— 
to  wit,  my  teaching.     Just  listen  to  this  !     We  sing — 

Molhno  mofig  a  lefatse.        (God  the  Master  of  the  world.) 

World  and  country  are  the  same  word.  Then  does  the  country 
no  longer  belong  to  the  Barotsi  ?  I  have  predicted  all  sorts 
of  calamities,  it  seems  ;  they  are  expecting  a  deluge  of  fire  from 
the  north,  which  will  sweep  over  the  whole  country.  I  have 
promised  that,  if  the  Barotsi  accept  the  Gospel,  they  will  live 
eternally.  Well,  they  have  accepted  it,  and  they  die  more 
than  ever.  Monare  is  dead,  Seoli  is  dead,  and  many  other 
persons,  and  so  on.  And  you  cannot  think  how  seriously  they 
put  forth  this  nonsense,  and  a  great  deal  more  that  would  make 
you  smile. 

My  boys  and  I  occupy  the  principal  hut  in  the  establishment 
of  the  Mokwe  Tunga,  the  so-called  husband  of  the  queen — a 
hut  infested  with  tanipanes.  The  bites  of  these  frightful  vermin, 
which  swarm  on  the  ground  and  rain  from  the  roof,  forbid 
us  to  dream  of  sleeping.  You  sigh  for  the  dawn,  while 
writhing  and  tearing  yourself  mercilessly  to  pieces.  When 
you  have  endured  several  sleepless  nights  of  such  torture,  it 
is  enough  to  make  you  really  ill  ;  you  are  fortunate  if  the 
aggravated  bites  do  not  degenerate  into  bad  abscesses.  The 
travelling  and  carnivorous  ants  and  the  microscopic  fleas  are 
terrible.     But  the  tauipaues  !     Don't  let  us  talk  about  them. 

Masiho,  the  Mokwe  Tunga,  has  escaped  for  a  few  minutes 
from  Mokwae's  presence  to  visit  me.  He  wanted  to  confide 
his  troubles  to  me,  for  he  too  had  some  of  his  own.  His  first 
wife,  an  excellent  person,  with  whom  he  had  never  any  fault 
to  find,  had  had  a  quarrel  with  Mokwae.  The  two  women 
were  jealous  of  each  other,  and  execrated  each  other  cordially. 
Mokwae  made  use  of  her  authority  to  wreak  her  hatred  on 
her  predecessor :  happily,  the  king  interfered  in  time.  The 
unfortunate  Makabana  escaped  with  her  life,  but  she  was  torn 
from  her  husband  and  sent  into  a  different  part  of  the  country, 
where  the  king  gave  her  to  another  man  for  a  wife.  "  How 
sad  ! "  I  exclaimed,  when  Masiho  had   finished  his  story.     He 


1889]  THE  queen's  gratitude  353 

began  to  laugh.     "  That's   how  things  are  done  here." — "  Now 
it's  over  and  done  with,"  he  added. 

I  was  anxious  to  assemble  the  village  people  to  speak  to 
them  of  the  Gospel.  The  chiefs  did  not  dare  to  oppose  this, 
but  they  did  not  help  me  either.  I  seated  myself  in  the  public 
square,  surrounded  by  my  pupils,  and  we  began  to  sing  hymns. 
The  men  stopped  at  a  distance,  and  the  women  grouped  them- 
selves round  the  entrances  of  their  courts,  but  no  one  joined 
us  ;  and  when  we  knelt  down,  it  was  in  the  midst  of  great  roars 
of  laughter.  At  sunset,  I  hit  upon  another  plan.  I  went  to  the 
lekhothla,  and  began  to  exhibit  my  photographs.  There  was 
very  soon  a  crowd.  People  were  pushing  and  scrambling, 
tumbling  over  each  other,  and  even  throwing  down  the  reed 
partition,  in  order  to  see  better.  And  you  should  have  heard 
their  sharp  comments  and  explosions  of  enthusiasm  at  the  sight 
of  Lewanika  and  Mokwae  !  In  the  twilight,  the  photographs 
were  put  away,  and  I  spoke  to  them  about  the  Saviour, 


April  i^th. 

Quitted  Nalolo  for  Lealuyi.  I  have  left  my  royal  patient  on 
the  road  to  recovery.  Her  gratitude  has  reached  such  a  climax 
that  at  the  moment  of  my  departure  she  offered  me  a  calabash 
of  honey.  Once,  under  similar  circumstances,  she  sent  my  wife 
a  mat,  gnawed  through  by  white  ants,  and  me  a  cake  of  mouldy 
tobacco  !  Tobacco  to  v^e  /  Poor  dear  woman !  We  laughed 
over  it  a  long  while. 

What  a  journey,  through  the  jungles  of  rushes  and  of  thorny 
bushes,  that  scratch  and  slap  your  face  and  cover  you  with  clouds 
of  insects — spiders,  flies,  and  caterpillars  !  The  sun  was  blazing. 
We  arrived  at  Lealuyi  the  same  day  ;  but,  as  often  happens, 
I  was  so  exhausted  that  I  could  scarcely  speak.  A  cup  of  tea 
set  me  up  a  little.  Although  we  quite  understood  each  other, 
Lewanika  and  I  had  a  long  explanation.  I  reproached  him  with 
having  set  a  trap  for  me  in  confiding  his  children  to  me.  He 
had  requested  me  to  discipline  them  and  to  make  them  work 
as  though  they  were  my  own  children,  although  he  knew  how 
touchy  the  Barotsi  were  in  all  that  concerned  their  dignity. 

"  It  is  true,"  he  said,  "  but  I  counted  on  their  goodwill  towards 
you.     Since  then,  there  has  been  a  great  reaction.     Even  my 

23 


354  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [iSSg 

wives  and  retainers,  who  were  learning  to  read  and  sing,  have 
grown  tired  of  it  ;  and,  like  everybody  else,  they  are  mocking 
me,  and  saying  I  am  going  mad.  I  am  quite  alone ;  I  have  no 
one  but  Seajika.     I  am  unhappy  and  discouraged." 

The  king  was  on  the  point  of  starting  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
consecrate  the  new  royal  barge  Nalikuanda  to  the  national 
gods  ;  but  he  put  off  his  voyage  on  account  of  my  visit.  This 
construction  of  the  new  Nalikuanda  is  a  grand  event.  They 
have  been  working  at  it  a  long  time.  The  work  is  generally 
surrounded  with  great  mystery  ;  no  one  but  the  workmen  may 
penetrate  into  the  timber-yard,  which  they  take  the  precaution 
of  surrounding  with  a  palisade  of  reeds.  One  fine  day,  when 
the  plain  is  inundated,  she  is  suddenly  seen  to  glide  from  the 
enclosure  as  if  by  magic,  and  to  float  upon  the  waters. 
Lewanika  is  very  proud  of  the  one  he  has  just  built,  and  made 
a  point  of  doing  me  the  honours.  After  we  had  minutely 
inspected  her,  a  crowd  of  men,  decorated  with  caps  and 
scarves  of  every  shade,  lions'  manes,  etc.,  seized  her,  and  to  the 
sound  of  drums,  bells,  and  harmonicas  she  made  her  trial 
trip.  This  monster  barge,  bristling  with  paddles  and  escorted 
by  canoes,  formed  a  striking  picture,  as  it  moved  majestically 
through  the  freshening  green  of  the  plain.  Excitement  mounted 
to  its  highest  pitch  ;  every  group,  that  curiosity  had  drawn  to 
the  bank,  was  shouting,  singing,  and  clapping  hands.  All  were 
anxious  I  should  share  this  enthusiastic  admiration. 

"  Well,  Moruti,  and  what  do  you  say  to  Nalikuanda  ?  You 
see     what    clever    fellows    the    Barotsi    are,    eh  ?      Oh !    the 

Barotsi "     And   a   significant    click    of    the   tongue    gives 

me  to  understand  that  they  have  no  fellow  in  the  universe. 
Dear  good  people !  they  really  believe  I  never  beheld  such  a 
masterpiece  of  craftsmanship. 

Given  their  circumstances,  it  really  is  a  work  that  does  the 
Barotsi  credit.  The  barge  is  sixty  feet  long,  nine  broad  in  the 
middle,  and  three  deep.  It  is  made  out  of  a  number  of  little 
canoes,  the  pieces  of  which  are  joined,  and  bound  together  by 
strong  ligatures,  ropes  or  wads  of  soft  bark  like  touchwood, 
covered  over  with  fibres  artistically  plaited.  The.se  variegated 
bands,  crossing  one  another  in  every  direction,  form  a  real 
adornment.  In  the  middle  is  a  false  bottom,  surmounted  by  a 
spacious  pavilion  of  mats,  and  covered  over  with  blue-and-white 


1889]  NALIKUANDA  355 

Stuff,  which  from  a  distance  looks  like  the  tilt  of  a  waggon 
— not  very  poetical. 

Besides  the  king  and  his  principal  councillors,  Nalikiianda 
bears  his  band  of  musicians  with  the  big  drums,  his  kitchen, 
his  scullions,  and  forty  or  fifty  rowers,  all  exclusively  Barotsi, 
and  chiefs.  It  is  absolutely  forbidden  for  any  woman  to  set 
foot  in  her.  Nalikuanda  must  always  arrive  at  her  destined 
port  on  the  same  day  as  she  starts.  It  is  a  great  honour  to 
take  part  in  manning  her  ;  but  it  is  very  hard  work.  It  often 
happens  that  chiefs  who  are  little  used  to  exert  themselves 
have  the  skin  of  their  hands  taken  off.  Woe  to  him  who 
betrays  his  weariness !  An  oar  is  passed  between  his  legs, 
and  he  is  tossed  over  into  the  water,  whence  a  canoe  fishes 
him  out.      It  is  a  great  disgrace. 

The  Sunday  spent  at  Lealuyi  was  interesting.  After  the 
morning  preaching,  Scajika  asked  leave  to  speak.  He  related 
at  great  length  the  circumstances  which  led  him  to  Basuto-land, 
ten  years  ago,  and  his  conversion  ;  then  his  return  to  the 
Zambesi,  and  simultaneously  to  paganism.  "  I  have  fallen  into 
every  kind  of  excess,"  he  said,  "  and  you  know  it.  I  had 
become  quite  one  of  you  again  ;  but  know  to-day  that  I  for- 
sake you  and  return  to  my  God."  This  return,  which  we  were 
prepared  for,  while  it  causes  us  great  joy,  does  not  as  yet 
inspire  us  with  unlimited  confidence.  I  took  advantage  of  the 
occasion  to  address  a  few  serious  words  to  this  poor  prodigal. 
But  if  God  receives  him  in  grace,  it  is  not  we  who  would  wish 
to  play  the  part  of  the  elder  son  in  the  parable. 


May  12nd. 

My  excursion  to  the  two  capitals  has  not  been  in  vain.  Our 
school  is  mounting  up  again.  Nearly  all  our  pupils  have 
returned  ;  the  only  absences  are  on  account  of  health  :  so  in  this 
respect  we  are  encouraged. 

But  here  is  Kamburu  just  come  back  from  Sesheke  with 
the  overwhelming  news  that  all  the  oxen  that  I  had  sent  last 
year,  the  king's  and  mine,  are  dead.  Consequently,  no  waggon, 
no  baggage,  no  provisions  !  All  that,  after  all,  is  little  in  itself 
It  is  the  actual  future  of  the  mission  that  causes  us  anxiety. 
It  is  impossible   long   to   go   on    running   the   risk   of  similar 


3  56  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

losses.  This  new  blow  has  crushed  us.  Is  that  the  answer 
to  our  prayers  ?  Ah,  what  poor  creatures  we  are  !  We  were 
quite  ready  to  make  the  sacrifice  of  our  lives,  but  I  confess  we 
were  not  prepared  to  suffer  so  great  a  loss  of  cattle,  representing 
the  sacrifices  of  so  many  of  God's  children,  the  shillings  of  the 
rich  and  the  pence  of  the  poor.  We  could  not  pass  through 
these  deep  waters,  if  the  arms  of  the  Almighty  did  not  bear 
us  up.  "  True  faith  is  an  active  grace,  and  she  always  has  both 
hands  full  of  work." 

June  iZth. 

Repeated  visits  to  the  capital,  from  which  I  have  once  more 
returned.  A  Mr.  Ware,  representing  a  mining  company,  has 
come  to  solicit  a  concession  from  Lewanika  for  exploiting  gold, 
which  is  supposed  to  abound  in  certain  parts  of  the  country. 
The  thing  was  so  novel,  that  the  king  and  his  councillors,  taken 
at  a  disadvantage,  found  themselves  greatly  embarrassed.  They 
feared  a  trap,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  were  fascinated  by  the 
considerable  presents  of  Martini-Henry  rifles,  of  ammunition, 
blankets,  and  garments,  which  Mr.  Ware  by  no  means  forgot 
to  bring  with  him.  There  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  assemble 
all  the  big-wigs  of  the  nation,  which  took  time  ;  and  then  to 
confer,  which  occupied  no  less. 

A  national  assembly  was  convened,  a  pitso,  to  which  the 
Gambella  proposed  the  question  in  the  sombre,  laconic  fashion  of 
the  Barotsi,  just  as  if  he  were  throwing  a  bone  to  a  dog.  To  this 
succeeded  a  volley  of  short  speeches,  all  pointless  and  con- 
tradictory. It  pained  me  to  see  the  venal  chiefs,  already  won 
over  themselves,  allowing  the  poor  people  to  ramble  on  in  the 
dark.  I  took  upon  myself  to  explain  to  the  best  of  my  ability 
the  real  bearings  of  the  question  at  issue,  but  I  doubt  whether 
the  chiefs  around  mc  liked  it.  No  matter.  The  speeches  took 
a  more  reasonable  form,  and  through  the  mazes  of  African  logic 
they  nearly  all  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion.  "  We  have 
missionaries  to  teach  us ;  and  now  that  Westbeech  is  dead, 
what  we  need  is  a  trader  who  will  bring  us  clothes,  buy  our 
ivory,  and  go  back  home  !  Who  are  these  white  men  ?  Whence 
come  they?  Who  sends  them  ?  Who  has  told  them  that  there 
is  this  red  mineral  in  our  country  ?  Chiefs,  are  you  very  sure 
that  their  gifts  are  honourable,  and  that  you  are  not  selling 


1889]  MR.  ware's  concession  357 

your  country  in  accepting  them  ? "  And  the  chiefs  around 
me  laughed. 

It  was  merely  a  farce,  repeated  next  day.  I  had  an  attack 
of  fever.  However,  I  was  able  to  take  part  in  the  grand 
council  of  the  chiefs,  where  the  business  was  treated  somewhat 
more  seriously.  The  concession  granted,  the  next  thing  was 
to  settle  the  terms.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  the  concession  is  for 
twenty  years,  and  that  it  includes  the  whole  of  the  Batoka 
country  (a  tribe  tributary  to  the  Barotsi),  to  the  east  of  the  little 
river  Machile  and  of  the  Zambesi,  as  far  as  Mashukulumboe- 
land.  It  is  immense,  and  Mr.  Ware  has  reason  to  congratulate 
himself  on  so  great  a  success.  However,  I  think  the  interests 
of  Lewanika  and  the  nation  have  not  been  sacrificed.  It  is 
probable  that  other  mining  companies  (there  were  more  than 
eighty  last  year  to  exploit  South  Africa)  will  try  to  obtain  some 
fragments  of  the  country,  for  the  region  of  the  Rapids  as  far 
as  the  Ngonye  Falls  will  certainly  prove  an  irresistible  bait. 
A  commercial  company  is  also  endeavouring,  by  sufficiently 
seductive  offers,  to  obtain  a  monopoly  of  the  commerce.  It 
proposed  to  place  little  steamers  on  the  Zambesi,  to  canalise 
the  Rapids,  or  to  make  a  little  railway  there,  and  to  establish 
bi-monthly  communications  with  Mangwato.  Just  think  of 
that !  Lewanika  had  the  good  sense  to  refuse  what  it  was 
beyond  his  power  to  concede.  But  he  invited  this  company 
to  establish  settlements  in  his  kingdom,  promising  his  support 
and  protection  to  them  as  to  all  honest  merchants. 

So  there  are  the  first  waves  of  the  invading  ocean  of 
European  immigration  crossing  the  Zambesi.  Where  will  they 
stop?  What  will  be  their  result  for  the  nation  itself,  and  for 
the  tribes  of  Central  Africa  ? 


CHAPTER    XXII 

A  Journey  from  Scfula  to  Seslieke — Nalolo  and  Queen  Mokwae— A  Hard 
Soil — How  to  reach  tlie  Zambesi  Women — Seoma — An  Anniversary — 
Entertainments  at  the  Bivouac — Seshekc — Kazungula — A  Conference — 
The  Return— Unpacking  Cases — A  Letter  from  Levvanika. 

Jtily  14th,  1889. 

THE  necessity  for  a  journey  to  Sesheke  becoming  urgent, 
we  braced  ourselves  up  to  the  decision.  The  king  lent  me 
his  aid  with  a  good  grace,  collected  my  paddlers,  whom  he 
placed  under  the  orders  of  a  chief  and  a  sub-chief;  and  when 
all  was  ready,  he  came  to  Sefula  to  present  me  with  my  little 
fleet  and  to  say  good-bye.  He  spent  Sunday  with  us,  and  put 
on  for  the  occasion  the  blue  serge  uniform  with  gold  fringes 
which  Mr.  Ware  had  given  him.  When  he  entered  the  church, 
every  one  instinctively  turned  round,  unable  to  restrain  a  flutter 
of  admiration.  They  even  made  an  attempt  at  clapping  hands  ; 
but  I  instantly  stopped  it,  reminding  them  that  in  this  place 
God  only  is  great.  Otherwise  this  was  the  only  demonstration  ; 
and  it  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  see  my  dear  Zambcsians 
reserve  their  customary  noisy  salutations  till  the  end  of  the 
service.  In  the  house  of  God,  the  king  takes  the  rank  of  a 
nwtlanka  (a  servant).     This  is  progress. 

I  left  Sefula  at  2  p.m.  My  poor  wife,  under  the  verandah, 
surrounded  by  her  little  girls,  followed  me  with  her  eyes  till 
the  trees  came  in  between  us  ;  and  then  went  in,  sad  at 
heart  as  one  may  imagine,  to  begin  her  three  dreary  months 
of  widowhood,  while  I  moved  slowly  away,  anxious  and 
preoccupied.  Mr.  Ware,  the  representative  of  the  mining 
company,  was  returning  with  me,  and  also  a  hunter,  Harry  Wall. 
Nguana-Ngomb6  and  Seajika  accompanied  me  to  the  entrance 
of  the   village   of  Letsuclc,  where  the    canoes  and  canoe-men 

35^ 


i889]  KAIBA  359 

were  awaiting  us.  They  hastened  to  receive  me,  on  their 
knees  clapping  their  hands,  which  made  my  boys  laugh.  Litia, 
too,  soon  arrived  with  his  own  boats  and  his  suite  ;  and  the 
next  morning,  at  eleven  o'clock,  we  reached  Nalolo. 

We  were  on  the  shore,  and  were  just  about  to  begin  the 
excellent  breakfast  with  which  our  good  housekeeper  had 
provided  us,  when  the  queen,  Mokwae,  appeared,  followed  by 
her  inseparable  Mokwe  Tunga.  Our  men  at  once  put  them- 
selves in  position  to  give  her  a  thundering  salute.  Would  not 
one  say  they  were  the  most  faithful  subjects  in  the  world  ? 
I  was  taken  by  surprise,  for  we  had  intended  presenting  our 
homage  to  her  after  having  satisfied  our  appetites. 

Her  Majesty,  attired  in  a  print  gown  and  a  shawl,  with 
a  handkerchief  hanging  from  her  neck,  squats  down  on  a  mat, 
near  the  one  we  are  using  for  a  table.  She  looks  at  our 
food  ;  but  one  glance  is  sufficient.  "  What  is  the  Moniti 
eating  ?  A  bird  ? "  The  Mokwe  Tunga  echoes  her  words. 
"The  queen  asks  what  the  Moniti  is  eating?  Is  it  a 
bird  ? "  "  No,  my  lord,  it  is  a  fowl."  And  the  echo  repeats, 
"  It  is  a  fowl."  "  What  a  pity  !  "  says  Mokwae  sulkily  ;  "  the 
queen  does  not  eat  fowl."  I  offer  her,  out  of  politeness,  a  cup 
of  the  black  coffee,  without  sugar,  which  we  ourselves  arc 
drinking.  "  Very  well  ;  give  it."  And  the  poor  woman,  also 
out  of  politeness,  drinks  it,  though  not  without  many  efforts 
and  much  grimacing. 

Her  son  Ka'iba  was  to  accompany  us  ;  and  although  he 
had  known  of  my  departure  for  three  weeks,  he  was  not 
ready  ;  it  would  have  been  vulgar  to  be  waiting  for  me,  and 
he  required  three  days  at  least  to  prepare.  I  said  I 
would  give  him  till  the  next  morning.  Mokwae  smiled 
incredulously.  I  smiled  too,  and  we  changed  the  subject.  We 
then  went  to  inspect  the  new  canoes  which  were  being  taken 
to  the  king.  They  had  already  passed  the  port  of  Nalolo 
without  giving  notice  to  the  queen.  Angry  at  this  affront, 
she  made  them  come  back.  She  spoke  loudly  ;  and  the  men, 
led  by  a  chief  of  haughty  disposition,  seemed  petrified.  They 
crawled  before  this  woman  ;  they  swept  the  dust  with  their 
foreheads,  and  received  her  reproaches  humbly,  clapping  their 
hands.  She  took  possession  of  the  two  best  pirogues,  accepted 
as  a  fine  the   baskets   of   their   provisions   which    the   culprits 


360  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

hastened  to  offer  her,  and  then  dismissed  them.  To  justify 
her  conduct,  which,  as  I  knew,  was  not  in  the  least  arbitrary, 
she  explained  to  me  the  custom  of  the  country.  When  the 
queen's  tributes  pass  Lealuyi,  they  must  first  be  presented  to 
the  king,  who  takes  what  he  wants  ;  and  the  same  thing  takes 
place  when  the  king's  tributes  pass  Nalolo — Mokwae  has  the 
first  choice.  "  But,"  she  added  sharply,  "  everything  is  altered 
nowadays,  and  these  black  creatures  give  themselves  airs,  and 
wish  to  set  us  at  naught."  While  speaking,  we  arrived  at  the 
village,  where  we  stayed  some  time.  The  queen  gave  us  a 
quantity  of  curdled  milk,  and  two  oxen  were  killed,  which  my 
people  spent  almost  the  whole  night  cutting  up  and  grilling. 

In  the  evening,  we  returned  to  take  leave  of  her,  and  I 
perceived  that  she  was  doing  her  best  to  get  all  she  could  out 
of  my  companion,  Mr.  Ware  ;  but  as  my  presence  evidently 
made  her  uncomfortable,  I  returned  alone  to  the  camp.  It 
seems  that  she  was  wanting  an  endless  number  of  presents. 
She  had  a  long  list  in  her  head,  but  she  feared  my  disapproval. 
What  she  wanted  above  all  was  a  blue  velvet  dress  with  gold 
fringes,  so  as  to  be  like  her  brother ;  she  had  quite  set  her 
heart  upon  it. 

The  evening  was  beautiful ;  the  full  moon  flooded  the  sky 
with  its  silver  light,  and  was  mirrored  in  the  waters.  Not  a 
ripple  was  on  the  river,  not  a  breath  of  wind,  not  a  sound,  not 
the  lightest  murmur  in  the  plain.  Everywhere  reigned  a  pro- 
found peace  which  charmed  the  soul.  I  wished  I  could  have 
prolonged  this  little  canoe  journey  of  half  an  hour.  My 
thoughts  reflected  the  melancholy  of  this  beautiful  moonlight ; 
I  thought  of  the  work,  and  I  thought  of  Mokwae.  I  carried 
away  from  my  last  visit,  as  I  always  do,  a  painful  impression. 
However  amiable  and  chatty  she  may  be,  there  is  something, 
I  know  not  what,  which  forms  a  barrier  between  us  ;  I  have 
not  yet  gained  her  confidence.  With  her,  I  feel  keenly  the 
need  of  that  wisdom  that  winneth  souls.  And  I  may  say  that 
the  evangelisation  of  Zambesian  women  is  the  most  arduous 
part  of  our  work.  We  do  not  know  how  to  reach  them  ;  they 
do  not  take  an  interest  in  anything,  and  one  cannot  make  them 
do  so.  It  is  heartrending.  We  are  digging  a  very  hard  rock, 
and  it  is  the  sad  experience  of  my  wife  too,  in  spite  of  the  gifts 
God  has  bestowed  upon  her. 


1889]  MAKALAKA    PORTERS  36 1 

The  next  morning,  Mokwac's  son  Kaiba,  who  is  about 
thirteen  years  old,  joined  me  with  his  suite,  without  makinLj 
me  wait  too  long.  He  has  three  canoes,  and  Litia  two,  which 
represent  thirty  men.  We  then  travelled  rapidly.  On  Saturday 
morning  we  passed  Itufa,  and  were  hindered  by  the  chief  of 
the  place,  who  kept  us  waiting  while  he  came  with  great 
ceremony  to  present  Litia  with  provisions  for  the  way,  which 
the  latter,  out  of  deference,  offered  to  me  in  his  turn. 

The  same  day  we  passed  the  tomb  of  Moana  Mbinyi 
without  taking  any  notice  of  it — a  thing  never  done  with 
impunity,  according  to  the  Zambesians.  My  boatmen  did  not 
dare  to  run  the  boats  ashore,  but  they  imposed  silence  on 
themselves,  and  bowed  down  as  they  passed,  striking  their 
thighs,  as  though  in  the  presence  of  this  great  personage.  In 
the  evening,  we  went  to  camp  over  Sunday  at  Senanga,  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Valley,  where  we  had  abundance  of  shade 
and  fuel. 

Seoma,  July  \Zth,   1889. 

We  arrived  here  on  Tuesday,  the  i6th,  at  nine  in  the  morning, 
with  no  other  incident  than  that  of  a  successful  hunt,  which 
delighted  every  one.  We  are  encamped  here  near  the  water 
under  a  gigantic  fig  tree.  The  shade  and  coolness  are  delicious. 
But  we  had  a  terrible  invasion  of  caterpillars — quite  an  Egyptian 
plague ! 

We  found  here  a  messenger  from  the  king,  who  had  out- 
run us,  and  was  waiting  for  us.  According  to  his  orders,  he 
had  collected  the  men  of  the  village  and  the  neighbouring 
hamlets,  and  was  watching  to  see  they  did  not  disperse — no 
idle  precaution.  The  Makalaka  of  Seoma,  close  to  the  Falls 
of  Ngonye  and  the  neighbourhood  (which  is  under  the  rule 
of  three  Barotsi  chiefs),  are  obliged  to  transport  all  travellers' 
canoes  up  and  down  the  river.  It  is  a  forced  labour  which 
they  generally  only  perform  when  driven  to  it  by  threats  and 
ill-treatment.  As  soon  as  they  see  a  pirogue  in  the  distance, 
they  disperse  secretly  into  the  woods,  and  there  the  Barotsi 
have  to  search  for  days  together,  and  collect  them  with  the 
terrible  African  whip  in  their  hands.  I  pity  these  poor  people 
very  much.  I  long  with  all  my  heart  to  found  a  missionary 
station  at  Seoma.     You  will  understand  how  repugnant  it  was 


362  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

to  me  to  receive  a  service  from  them  rendered  so  unwillingly. 
But  I  could  not  help  it.  I  had  once  thought  of  distributing 
calico  among  them  ;  but  the  king  said  to  me,  with  justice,  that 
this  would  be  a  precedent  which  they  would  certainly  make 
use  of  to  torment  travellers.  He  promised  to  do  so  himself, 
to  express  his  satisfaction,  and  this  would  not  have  the  same 
bad  result.  What  they  are  in  want  of  is  a  vehicle  to  facilitate 
their  labour. 

On  our  arrival,  when  they  came  to  salute  us,  I  announced 
that  our  whole  party,  sixty-five  or  sixty-six  men,  would  help  to 
transport  the  canoes.  The  poor  people  were  so  astonished, 
that  the  next  day  at  dawn  they  arrived  like  one  man  to  begin 
their  work.  By  the  evening,  ten  of  our  canoes  were  already 
below  the  falls,  and  to-day  the  seven  others  have  followed  them, 
as  well  as  our  tents  and  luggage  ;  and  here  we  are  at  Mamongo. 
Only  two  days  !  and  we  expected  a  delay  of  two  weeks. 

On  the  17th,  my  birthday,  what  would  I  not  have  given 
for  my  wife  to  know  I  was  at  Seoma  !  While  our  boats  were 
being  transported,  I  went  with  my  lads  to  pass  the  day  at  the 
Ngonye  Falls,  and  let  them  romp  about  among  the  rocks,  bathe, 
sing,  and  amuse  themselves  like  true  schoolboys  on  a  holiday. 
My  gun  furnished  us  with  guinea-fowls,  which  we  put  into  the 
pot ;  some  jam,  a  piece  of  stale  bread,  and  the  necessary  cup  of 
coffee,  composed  a  picnic  mejiu  which  left  us  nothing  more  to 
wish  for.  In  the  evening,  I  had  a  numerously  attended  meeting 
in  the  village.  So  much  for  external  affairs.  Inwardly,  I  was 
filled  with  gratitude  and  serene  joy.  In  a  few  more  years,  the 
sixtieth  will  be  here.  One  of  my  good  friends  had  a  theory, 
that  at  sixty  years  a  missionary's  work  was  done,  that  he  was 
a  worn-out  tool.  I  kick  against  this  doctrine  ;  /  shall  not  sub- 
scribe to  it.  I  believe  in  youthful  old  age.  I  do  not  ask  God 
for  a  long  life — my  times  are  in  His  hand  ;  but  I  do  ask  the 
privilege  of  dying  at  my  post,  in  harness,  and  of  seeing  the 
Zambesi  Mission  consolidated  and  prosperous. 


MOLEMOA,  July  \<^th. 
We  left  Mamongo   at  eight   this  morning      Good  humour 
and  high  spirits  were  maintained.     The  chiefs  of  my  band  are 
full  of  consideration   and   forethought.     It   is  they  who  set  up 


i889]  NATIVE    AMUSEMENTS  363 

and  pull  down  my  tent,  load  my  canoe,  and  preside  at  our  daily 
installation.  Litia,  like  a  devoted  son,  puts  his  hand  to  every- 
thing ;  no  one  but  himself  touches  my  bed.  It  is  a  privileged 
task  which  he  himself  has  chosen.  However,  in  other  respects 
I  do  not  sit  with  my  arms  folded.  I  have  to  see  that  every- 
thing is  properly  done. 

What  giants  these  Zambesians  are  !  I  really  must  measure 
the  feet  of  that  good  Moshowa,  who  is  in  the  front  of  my 
canoe  ;  no  shoemaker  has  ever  fitted  feet  like  them  !  In  the 
evening,  while  I  am  writing  these  lines,  and  the  roaring  fires 
are  making  the  pots  boil,  our  camp  does  not  lack  animation. 
The  more  serious  love  to  relate  episodes  of  national  history, 
in  which  they  take  care  to  make  the  most  of  their  own  exploits. 
Others  form  a  circle  round  a  buffoon,  who,  with  a  gourd  in  his 
hand,  is  executing  a  new  dance,  full  of  astounding  contortions. 
Later  on,  a  voice  is  heard :  "  Ako "  ("  Guess ").  Some  one 
responds,  "A/uda"  ("Speak").  Then  comes  an  enigma,  which 
must  be  included  in  a  single  sentence.  Here  is  a  specimen : 
"  Mine  is  something  found  on  the  edge  of  a  wood."  "  A  bird  ?  " 
"  No ;  it  is  found  on  the  edge  of  a  thick  forest."  "  A  road  ?  " 
And  so  on.  After  several  wrong  answers,  the  speaker  says, 
"  Ke  sJiuile  "  ("  I  am  dead,"  2.e.  I  give  it  up).  "  You  arc  dead  ? 
Well  then,  it  is  the  ear."  Not  very  witty,  is  it?  But  it  is 
surprising  how  excited  they  get  over  this  kind  of  fencing.  It 
sometimes  happens  that  a  man  cannot  sleep.  Then  he  takes 
his  kaiigo7nbio  (a  little  instrument  of  music  five  or  six  inches 
long,  with  metal  tongues,  stretched  on  a  board  over  a  calabash, 
to  make  it  more  sonorous),  and  there  he  sits,  playing  all  night 
uninterruptedly,  and  singing  those  profoundly  plaintive  melodies 
peculiar  to  these  black  children  of  Africa.  No  one  complains 
of  it  ;  he  is  supposed  to  be  in  communication  with  the  gods. 
It  is  quite  an  accepted  thing. 

We  have  passed  the  Kale  Rapids.  One  of  the  boats  was 
wrecked,  but  we  were  able  to  save  it.  We  bought  two  canoes 
from  Matome.  He  promised  them  to  me  a  long  time  ago  ;  but 
although  he  had  the  king's  authority,  and  had  surrounded  him- 
self with  every  possible  precaution,  he  thought  it  necessary  to 
hide  them  on  an  island  in  the  middle  of  the  rapids ;  and  when 
he  saw  me  with  the  young  princes  and  Barotsi  chiefs,  it  was  not 
without  great  hesitation  that  he  brought  them.     They  are  not 


364  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

particularly  good  ones,  but  they  will  be  comfortable.     "  Quaiid 
on  n'a pas  ce  quon  aiine,  il  faiit  aimer  ce  qit'on  «  /" 

Saturday,  July  10th. 

An  unlucky  day !  Litia  went  off  in  the  morning  with 
several  men  to  hunt,  and  I  told  him  to  meet  me  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Njoko,  where  we  expected  to  arrive  early.  It  was  so 
cold,  that  at  half-past  eight  the  men  could  no  longer  hold  their 
paddles.  However,  we  pushed  on,  and  soon  came  to  the 
Bomboe  Rapids.  The  passage  there  was  more  difficult  than 
dangerous  ;  but  my  men  were  afraid  of  it,  and  cast  their  eyes 
on  another  shute,  far  from  the  bank,  where  the  current  was 
deeper,  but  also  stronger.  A  large  canoe  ventured,  but  they 
made  a  false  manoeuvre,  and  it  was  carried  away  like  a  straw, 
and  caught  among  the  rocks.  Every  one  saw  the  danger, 
and  every  one  thought  himself  wiser  than  his  neighbour  ;  they 
began  shouting  orders  and  counter-orders  ;  and  then,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  I  saw  those  terrible  white  breakers  dash 
furiously  over  the  pirogue  and  swamp  it.  Those  within  reach 
threw  themselves  on  the  floating  baggage,  and  saved  what  they 
could.  But  what  did  the  baggage  matter  ?  It  was  the  canoe 
I  wanted ! 

Can  you  believe  that,  while  this  accident  was  absorbing 
my  attention,  most  of  the  other  canoes  had  passed  on,  and  all 
the  men,  squatting  on  the  rocks  below,  were  watching  us  and 
making  fun  of  us?  I  had  to  bring  all  the  weight  of  my 
authority  to  bear  on  them  before  I  could  collect  ten  men  to 
help.  I  myself  had  found  my  way  to  the  site  of  the  disaster, 
and  directed  the  operations.  I  wanted  to  disengage  the  canoe, 
and  float  it  again  ;  but  when  we  tried  to  lift  it,  the  two  sides, 
already  stove  in,  remained  in  our  hands  !  The  wreck  was 
complete.  It  recalled  my  sad  adventures  at  Njoko.  As  for 
my  Zambesians,  they,  of  course,  began  to  quarrel.  They  pointed 
at  each  other,  shouted  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  I  saw 
they  would  soon  come  to  blows  in  the  middle  of  the  rapids. 
I  managed,  not  |^without  difficulty,  to  quiet  them.  An  hour 
later,  the  current  of  our  canoe  life  had  begun  to  flow  again,  like 
the  rapids  over  our  wreck.  They  talked,  took  snuff,  and 
laughed  ;  and  if  they  still  spoke  of  our  misfortune,  it  was  to 
lavish  condolences  on  each  other.    "  S/iangive,  ke  noka.sJiangwcr 


1889]  WRECKS    IN    THE    RAPIDS  365 

"  Ah,  my  brother,  it  was  the  river ;  the  canoe  was  old  and 
rotten."  Shangwes  rained  on  every  side,  and  those  most  to 
blame  were  the  most  flattered.  I  felt  indignant.  It  is  an 
axiom  here,  that,  at  all  costs,  you  must  conciliate  the  one 
whom  you  fear,  or  whom  you  have  offended  ;  otherwise,  beware 
of  reprisals — the  spear  of  the  next  revolution,  or  the  sorcerer's 
stake ! 

Ngamboe,  Jtdy  12nd. 

Yesterday  was  a  delicious  Sunday,  spent  on  a  beautiful  islet. 
Every  morning  we  make  it  a  rule  to  unite  at  sunrise  for  prayer  ; 
then  the  tent  is  taken  down,  and  the  canoes  loaded.  In  the 
evening,  when  the  preparations  for  the  camp  are  ended,  they 
gather  round  my  fire  to  sing  hymns,  repeat  a  portion  of  the 
Word  of  God,  and  pray.  But  our  Zambesians  have  an  invincible 
aversion  to  prayer,  and  are  never  in  want  of  an  excuse  for 
getting  out  of  it.  On  Sunday,  there  is  no  possible  excuse,  so 
every  one  is  there.  I  felt  very  happy  in  explaining  to  them 
the  good  news  of  Salvation.  A  conversation  the  evening  before, 
on  the  religious  notions  of  the  Barotsi,  so  captivating  that  it 
was  prolonged  to  a  late  hour,  had  prepared  us  on  both  sides. 

July  lyd. 

Yesterday,  Kaiba's  *  canoe  nearly  came  to  grief  Going  down 
a  rapid,  it  turned  broadside  to  the  current.  In  an  instant,  the 
white  breakers  leapt  into  it  and  filled  it  with  water.  A  little 
fellow  of  his  own  age,  who  never  leaves  Kaiba,  and  was  then 
sitting  quietly  at  his  feet,  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  leap  into 
the  water,  lift  up  the  young  prince,  and  deposit  him  on  a  rock 
level  with  the  water.  The  men  within  reach  flew  to  the  rescue, 
floated  the  pirogue  again,  and  fished  up  the  greasy  karosscsf 
which  were  none  the  worse  for  this  little  washing.  To-day, 
there  was  a  similar  accident  at  the  Lochu  Rapids.  It  makes 
me  rather  nervous,  not  for  my  own  life,  but  for  those  of  the 
boys  confided  to  my  care. 

Litia,  who  had  received  a  fine  Martini  from  his  father,  killed 
two  beautiful  antelopes.  It  was  the  first  large  game  he  had 
brought    down,   and   the   dear    boy   was    almost  beside   himself 

'  Kaiba,  Queen  Mokwae's  eldest  son,  a  young  chief,  pupil  in  the  school. 
See  page  359. 
*  Fur  mantles. 


366  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

with  delight.  Compliments — my  own  amongst  them — showered 
upon  him  like  hail.  A  little  later,  Mr.  Wall  shot  a  buffalo. 
What  a  treat !  Everybody  crowded  round  the  beast ;  fires 
were  lit  ;  and  while  some  cut  it  up,  others  grilled  strips  of  meat, 
which  were  taken  from  the  fire  before  they  were  even  scorched. 
We  were  obliged  to  bivouac.  And  even  while  I  write  the 
fires  are  crackling  ;  the  meat  is  being  baked  and  roasted  ;  they 
are  singing,  chattering,  and  teasing  one  another.  Good-bye 
to  sleep  ! 

Sesmeke,  July  i^th. 

Fifteen  days'  journey  from  Sefula,  including  halts  and 
Sundays  :  that  is  not  bad.  Sixty-one  hours'  travelling  in  all. 
Now  we  have  arrived.  My  people  have  washed  themselves, 
fired  their  guns  several  times,  and  arranged  the  order  of  the 
canoes ;  for  they  also  aim  at  effect,  and  make  the  waves  moan 
under  the  strokes  of  their  paddles,  keeping  time  to  the 
monotonous  chant  of  the  rowers. 

At  first  glance,  the  impression  is  a  painful  one.  We  enter 
the  bay  of  Sesheke  by  a  side  channel ;  the  station  lies  in  a 
bend  of  the  bank.  But  is  that  really  the  beautiful  bay  we  used 
to  admire  so  much  ?  It  is  now  nothing  but  a  lagoon,  rapidly 
filling  with  sand.  Already  grass  and  reeds  have  invaded  it ; 
and  when  the  waters  are  at  their  lowest,  I  think  the  little  creek 
by  which  we  enter  will  be  completely  choked  up.  The  buildings 
too,  which  were  never  very  imposing,  have  grown  old.  One 
would  think  they  were  crumbling  away.  Nevertheless,  here 
is  a  pretty  little  cottage,  with  its  reed-fenced  court :  it  is  the 
Jallas'.  And  behind  rises  the  woodwork  of  the  Jeanmairets' 
new  house,  telling  of  life  and  progress. 

Shall  I  speak  of  our  joy  and  emotion  in  seeing  these  dear 
faces  once  more,  after  two  years'  separation  ?  No  ;  we  will 
only  say  that,  after  the  first  greetings  were  over,  we  had  to 
visit  the  graves  where  the  darling  children  are  laid.^  It  gives 
me  great  pleasure  to  see  the  Jallas  again,  full  as  they  are  of 
energy  and  spirit.  A  grain  of  optimism  and  enthusiasm  is 
a  happy  disposition  in  surroundings  where  everything  conspires 
to   depress    and    crush    you.      There    is    so    little    poetry    in    a 

'  Two  at  this  date — one  of  the  Jeanmairets',  and  one  of  the  Jallas' ;  later 
on,  two  more  of  the  Jallas'. 


i889]  A    BEER   FEAST  367 

missionary's  life,  that  there  is  a  risk  of  its  turning  to  nothing 
but  the  saddest  prose,  if  one  once  begins  to  give  way.  Already, 
I  feel  a  warm  affection  for  the  Jallas ;  and  they  are  a  real 
acquisition  to  the  mission. 

Kazungula,  August  yd. 

Four  days  ago,  I  joined  my  nephew  Jeanmairet,  who  had 
preceded  me  here.  The  waggons  have  come,  bringing  our 
baggage  and  provisions,  and  M.  Jeanmairet  has  already  begun 
to  send  off  some  cases  by  canoe.  One  really  must  have  faith 
that  angels  escort  these  frail  vessels,  and  watch  over  the 
precious  chests,  so  dangerous  is  the  navigation  of  the  river.  I 
cannot  think  of  my  return  voyage  over  the  rapids  without 
trembling.  My  canoes  are  larger  than  those  of  Sesheke,  but, 
even  so,  they  are  only  hollow  trunks  of  trees.  And  then,  on 
the  way  here,  all  my  people  were  very  good-humoured,  having 
the  irresistible  promise  of  a  piece  of  calico,  and  we  resolved 
to  employ  them  by  preference.  This  bitterly  offended  the 
people  of  Mambova  and  Sesheke,  who  thought  their  rights 
were  assailed,  and  they  put  difficulties  in  our  way. 

The  south-west  wind  has  sprung  up,  and  is  blowing  violently. 
We  shiver  under  our  cloaks  and  rugs.  The  air  is  darkened 
by  clouds  of  dust,  which  penetrate  everything.  Our  tents  are 
blown  about,  and  threaten  every  moment  to  be  carried  away. 
The  river  is  as  rough  as  the  sea,  the  waves  swelling  and  dashing 
against  one  another,  white  with  foam.  All  communication  with 
the  left  bank  is  impossible,  and  it  is  there  that  the  chiefs  of 
Sesheke  are  established,  leaving  us  alone  on  the  right  bank, 
from  the  invincible  terror  they  have  of  the  Matabele.  And  the 
Matabele  are  fifty  miles  from  here  ! 

Yesterday,  there  was  a  grand  beer  feast  on  the  Mpalira 
island.  Every  one  went  thither  early  in  the  morning,  following 
the  chiefs  of  Sesheke.  But  once  there,  they  remained  for  the 
night,  which  was  not  at  all  in  the  programme.  "  The  wind 
was  so  strong  that  no  one  would  have  dared  to  venture  in 
a  canoe  !  "  What  would  not  these  poor  fellows  do  for  the  sake 
of  squatting  round  a  pot  of  beer  ! 

August  18///. 
The  wind  has  been  blowing  a  great  deal,  but  the  Zambesians 
are  quite  good-humoured.     They  themselves  watched  for  calm 


368  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1889 

moments,  and  loaded  the  canoes  early  in  the  morning,  or 
even  in  the  evening  by  moonlight !  Till  now,  everything  has 
been  done  quietly,  without  accident.  My  nephew  has  left  me, 
so  that  Mr.  Jalla  may  come  to  join  me.  A  question  which 
urgently  occupies  our  minds  is  the  foundation  of  a  large 
station  here  at  Kazungula.  It  is  the  door  of  the  country, 
and  it  is  to  M.  Jalla  that  we  would  wish  to  confide  this  post. 
If  Lewanika  falls  in  with  our  wishes,  and  establishes  a  village 
here,  to  guard  the  official  passage  of  the  river,  this  station  would 
be  one  of  the  finest  and  most  important  in  the  country. 

September  ind. 

Our  return  to  Sesheke  has  not  been  without  peril,  above 
all  for  our  brother  Jalla,  whose  canoe  was  too  small  to  resist 
the  force  of  the  wind  and  waves.  Since  then,  we  have  not 
wanted  for  occupation  :  we  have  had  to  dry  the  baggage  and 
put  it  in  order,  load  waggons  drawn  by  untrained  bullocks, 
and  send  off  our  canoes,  which  will  deposit  the  baggage  at 
Seoma,  and  return  here.  My  time  is  naturally  divided  between 
the  Jeanmairets  and  the  Jallas,  and  in  the  evening  we  have 
earnest  conferences.  One  day  in  particular,  our  conversation 
turned  upon  conversion  and  the  missionary  vocation,  and  we 
all  spoke  freely  about  our  own  experiences  in  these  respects. 
Of  course,  these  were  different  with  each  one.  God  does  not 
lead  all  His  children  by  the  same  road.  I  began  to  speak 
of  the  opposition  I  had  met  with,  and  of  my  own  dear  mother ; 
but  it  was  too  much  for  me. 

Seoma,  September  12nd. 

My  stay  at  Seoma  is  already  a  thing  of  the  past.  We 
separated  from  our  friends  as  those  who  may  never  meet  again. 
But  we  feel  strong,  for  we  feel  ourselves  united.  We  understand 
and  love  each  other.  It  is  the  greatest  blessing  we  can  desire, 
and  it  brings  other  blessings  with  it. 

The  crossing  of  the  rapids  was  laborious,  as  I  expected. 
Some  of  the  canoes  were  sunk,  chests  and  bales  had  to  be 
fished  up,  opened,  and  the  contents  dried.  But  through  God's 
goodness,  we  had  no  wrecks,  as  in  coming  down.  We  had  some 
cases  of  sickness  ;  but  it  is  always  so  on  the  Zambesi,  and 
we  do  not  complain  of  it.     Here  is  news  from  Sefula  at  last. 


iSS9]  CASES    FROM    EUROPE  369 

My  poor  wife  is  always  ill,  and  can  bear  the  strain  no  longer. 
Counting  all  the  men  who  work  with  Nguana-Ngomb6  at  the 
canal,  Mr.  Waddell's  workmen,  our  boys  and  girls,  and  the 
Seajika  establishment  which  has  just  been  joined  to  ours,  she 
has  fifty-three  mouths  to  feed  every  day.  The  task  is  crushing. 
A  letter  from  Lewanika  brings  his  answer  about  placing 
M.  Jalla  at  Kaz.ungula,  I  expected  some  sulkiness  on  his 
part,  instead  of  which  he  fully  enters  into  our  plans,  and 
henceforward  gives  orders  for  the  immediate  foundation  of  the 
village  we  advised  him  to  build.  It  is  the  granting  of  our 
prayers  and  the  seal  of  God  on  our  decision. 

Nalolo,  September  ifth. 

We  have  arrived  here  by  forced  stages,  which  our  people 
performed  with  a  good  will,  in  spite  of  the  wind  and  waves, 
which  hindered  us  very  much.  One  of  my  cares  was  the  food 
of  every  day,  which  I  had  to  barter  for  in  every  village.  Our 
arrival  at  Nalolo  was  the  signal  for  a  great  commotion,  on 
account  of  Kaiba's  return.  The  poor  child,  muffled  up  in  a 
man's  long  shirt,  made  his  entry  at  the  head  of  a  lengthy 
procession,  in  the  midst  of  a  deafening  tumult.  The  excited 
women  ran  about,  leaping  and  dancing,  kissed  his  hands,  and 
made  impossible  contortions,  uttering  shrill  cries.  The  men, 
drawn  up  on  the  public  place,  noisily  performed  the  royal 
salute,  shoalela.  Our  rowers  caught  the  infection,  and  they 
too  began  to  sJioadele.  After  keeping  them  waiting  for  some 
time,  Mokwae  came  out  with  her  drums  and  harmonicas,  and 
sat  down  on  her  mat,  while  her  son  knelt  before  her  to  receive 
the  maternal  spitting.  Then  we  emptied  the  newsbag,  and  the 
ceremonies  were  at  an  end. 

Early  next  morning,  we  disembarked  at  Letsuele,  where 
our  dear  Nguana-Ngomb6  was  waiting  for  me  with  my  horse, 
and  soon  afterwards  I  reached  my  home,  from  which  I  had 
been  absent  nearly  three  months.  My  poor  wife  had  been  so 
ill  that  she  hardly  expected  to  see  me  again.  I  found  her  very 
thin,  and  utterly  prostrated. 

My  canoc-mcn  returned  immediately  to  Scoma,  to  fetch 
what  they  had  deposited  there,  and  ten  days  later  all  the 
baggage  had  arrived.  At  last  !  What  a  comfort  and  satisfaction. 
These  cases  came  from  almost  everywhere,  from  London,  Fan's, 

24 


370  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

the  Cape,  and  Basuto-land,  and  had  accumulated  at  Mangwato. 
Some  are  filled  with  provisions  ordered  three  or  four  years 
back  ;  others  have  been  packed  at  Leribe  and  in  Europe  five 
cr  seven  years  ago.  We  had  given  up  expecting  them.  And 
now  to  unpack  them  !  It  is  the  delight  of  sailors,  and  also 
that  of  missionaries  in  foreign  countries,  one  of  the  keenest  they 
can  have.  But  no  pleasure  here  is  without  alloy,  and  hc.irt- 
breaks  are  often  a  discipline  for  the  child  of  God,  all  the 
more  necessary  as  they  are  harder  to  endure.  Here  is  a  case 
we  have  been  expecting  for  two  years.  We  cannot  open  it 
without  a  flutter.  But  what  a  spectacle !  The  rain  and  the 
termites  have  got  into  it,  and  it  gives  out  a  choking  smell.  It 
is  a  mere  heap  of  red  earth  turned  into  mud.  In  turning  it 
over,  we  find  in  it  rags  of  stuff,  deplorable  samples  of  dresses 
and  garments  which  exist  no  longer,  reels  of  cotton,  haber- 
dashery, seeds  in  every  stage  of  decomposition ;  books  too, 
whose  leaves,  gnawed  into  illegibility,  do  not  even  offer  a  clue 
to  the  names  of  the  friends  who  have  sent  them. 

Here  is  another.  This  is  stationery,  which  has  been  no 
better  treated,  and  now  beggars  all  description.  A  third  and 
fourth  are  provisions.  The  jams  have  fermented  and  run : 
this  disgusting  black  mass,  these  tin  boxes  rusted  into  holes, 
out  of  which  flows  a  kind  of  evil-smelling  ink, — these  are  rice, 
macaroni,  vermicelli;  luxuries  for  times  of  convalescence.     Here 

are  others  again But  no !  we  must  throw  all  that  on  to  the 

dust-heap — these  fermented  fruits  and  these  rotten  biscuits, 
all  those  nameless  vexations  of  which  the  transport  alone  has 
cost  us  so  much  anxiety,  so  much  trouble,  and,  above  all,  so 
much  money.  Let  us  forget  them,  if  possible.  They  were  not 
necessaries,  since  our  kind  Father  withholds  them  from  us. 

Let  us  stop  at  leisure  before  these  well-made  cases,  carefully 
soldered,  which  have  only  joyful  surprises  for  us.  Here,  indeed, 
are  clothes,  as  fresh  as  if  they  came  direct  from  the  Bon  March6 
or  the  Belle  Jardiniere — all  sorts  of  provisions  in  perfect  con- 
dition. Here  are  photographic  materials,  precious  gifts  from 
some  sewing  circles,  and  numerous  souvenirs  of  personal  friends, 
overwhelming  us  with  gratitude. 

In  the  midst  of  our  unpacking,  a  messenger  has  come  from 
Franz,  the  conductor,  to  announce  that  my  waggon  has  broken 
down  at  the  Lumbe,  half-way  from  Sesheke.     One  of  the  wheels 


A    LETTER    FROM    LEWANIKA  37 1 

is  completely  and  irremediably  broken.  And  there  is  no  spare 
wheel  !  All  our  waggons  are  in  a  pitiable  condition.  The  two 
I  bought  at  Natal  on  my  return  from  Europe — and  this  is  one 
of  them — are  completely  done  for.  The  climate  dries  and 
warps  them,  and  the  sand  and  the  rain  do  the  rest.  It  is  heart- 
rending. We  ought  to  have  light  iron  carts,  such  as  they  make 
in  England.  In  this  case,  the  only  alternative  is  to  send  our 
friend  Waddell  to  do  it  up  as  best  he  can  and  bring  it 
back  here. 

The  question  of  our  transports,  above  all  from  Sesheke  to 
Sefula,  will  always  be  a  mountain  of  difficulty  ;  the  roads  arc 
very  bad,  the  oxen  die,  the  waggons  get  broken.  But  it  must 
be  clearly  understood  that  the  water-way  will  for  a  long  time 
be  only  a  last  resort,  as  it  is  both  unsafe  and  very  expensive. 
I  leave  you  to  think  how  small  a  cargo  can  be  put  on  one 
canoe,  the  length  of  which,  on  an  average,  is  from  twenty-five 
to  thirty  feet,  by  one  and  a  half,  never  more  than  two  feet  at 
its  greatest  width,  containing  four  or  five  men,  or  even  s/.v, 
encumbered  with  each  one's  personal  baggage  and  food  for  a 
long  journey.  I  had  the  king's  canoes — his  own,  which  he  lends 
to  nobody  ;  but  one  cannot  always  count  on  them.  This  diffi- 
culty will  be  smoothed  away  like  all  the  others — 1  feel  sure  of  it. 

Before  I  close,  would  you  like  to  read  a  little  letter  of 
welcome  which  Lcwanika  wrote  on  my  return  ? 

"  I  salute  thee,"  he  says — "  I  salute  thee  with  a  joyful  heart, 
since  I  hear  thou  hast  returned,  and  in  good  health.  Here,  as 
usual,  there  are  many  sick,  but  I  am  pretty  well.  I  am  glad 
thy  baggage  has  arrived  without  an  accident  ;  I  was  afraid  it 
might  get  wet.  Thy  boatmen  have  come  themselves  to  salute 
me  and  sJioa:lele.  They  had  all  put  on  their  white  cotton 
clothes,  the  calico  seisibas,  and  the  red  handkerchiefs  thou  hadst 
given  them.  Every  one  exclaimed,  on  seeing  them,  '  One  can 
easily  see  they  have  been  travelling  with  the  Moruti ! '  But  I 
knew  how  much  had  been  given  them,  and  remarked  that  they 
had  hidden  part.  I  ordered  them  to  bring  it  all  to  the  Ickhothla, 
threatening  to  confiscate  the  whole  if  they  disobeyed  mc.  I 
would  have  every  one  to  see  that  thou  payest  well  those  that 
serve  thee.  They  obeyed  me,  and  I  rebuked  them.  The 
Barotsi  are  liars. 

"  As  to  public  business,  there  is  no  lack  of  it  here.     T])ore 


372  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

are  three  questions  which  occupy  me  above  all  :  they  are, 
sorcerers,  beer,  and  adulterers.  The  Barotsi  of  olden  times,  our 
forefathers,  did  not  turn  sorcerers,  they  respected  the  wives  of 
others,  and  did  not  know  beer.  We  owe  all  that  to  the 
Makololo.  I  have  summoned  a  pitso.  If  the  Barotsi  will  not 
hear  reason,  it  is  as  much  as  to  say  that  I  am  no  longer  their 
king,  and  that  I  am  no  longer  anything.  In  that  case,  there 
will  be  trouble,  for  I  am  determined  to  act.  Will  the  Barotsi 
kill  me  or  drive  me  out  of  the  country  ?  Thou  wilt  soon  know. 
Perhaps  thy  God  to  Whom  thou  prayest  will  hear.  Whatever 
may  happen,  I  am  not  afraid  of  a  revolution.  But  if  I  live, 
and  if  I  am  king  of  the  country,  I  must  extirpate  witch-finding 
(by  boiling  water,  poison,  and  fire),  adultery,  theft,  and 
drunkenness. 

"  Likokoane  ^  troubles  me  ;  he  wishes  to  take  a  second  wife. 
I  oppose  it.  Sepopa,  too,  is  always  after  Monde,  his  sister " 
{i.e.  cousin).  "  He  will  not  forsake  this  wicked  way.  It  is  Sasa 
who  encourages  him  to  do  wrong." 

1  See  page  347, 


^ 

^ 


2SSS*fi^-t::rLS.  r-J. 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

Still  alone  at  Sefula — The  School— Nyondo  the  Moshukulumboe — Litia, 
the  Heir-apparent — A  Sale  of  Books — Lewanika's  Efforts  to  put  down 
Crime — The  Canal  begun — New  Year's  School  Feast — Royal  Visitors — 
A  Picnic — First  Concession  to  the  British  South  African  Company — 
"  The  evil  that  you  hinder  " — Prohibition  of  Slave-dealing  and  Intoxicants 
—  M.  Adolphe  Jalla — Nguana-Ngombe's  Baptism — A  Visit  from  the 
British  South  African  Company's  Agent — Native  Intrigues  and  Sus- 
picions— History  of  the  Negotiations — The  Treaty  signed — Terms  of  the 
Concession — Delimitation  of  the  Barotsi  Frontier — Khama's  Embassy— 
The  European  Mail — The  Station  on  fire. 

Sefula,  December  2^th,  1889. 

YOU  know  we  have  been  alone  at  Sefula  for  more  than 
a  year.  The  school  absorbs  most  of  my  time.  When 
I  am  not  in  the  school,  I  visit  the  neighbouring  villages ;  and 
besides  these  two  most  important  branches  of  the  work,  a  mass 
of  small  duties  fritter  away  my  time.  In  an  isolation  like  ours, 
it  is  certainly  a  great  blessing  to  be  very  busy ;  but  it  is  distress- 
ing to  feel  that  one  is  not  equal  to  the  task,  that  one  does 
little,  and  nothing  well.  The  time  flics,  one  does  not  know 
how.  Our  spirits  are  often  weighed  down  when  we  balance 
our  accounts  of  the  day's  work,  and  yet  wc  arc  both  so  tired 
that  we  long  for  bedtime.  Is  it  the  climate  or  laziness?  I  often 
try  to  forestall  things  by  getting  up  early  ;  but  that  is  the  sole 
hour  I  can  call  my  own,  and  it  is  quickly  past. 

My  dear  wife  cannot  help  me  in  the  school  as  she  did 
six  months  ago  ;  she  is  so  often  ill.  The  cares  of  our  household 
tend  always  to  increase  rather  than  to  diminish.  Thus,  we 
have  this  year  two  more  daughters  of  the  king's  under  our 
roof.  Of  course,  these  nine  girls  give  a  great  deal  of  work 
and  care  to  the  mistress  of  the  house.  Here  arc  already  the 
materials  for  a  boarding  school.  It  needs  a  lady  to  give  her 
whole  time  to  it.     Besides  the  girls,  we  have  boys,  as  you  know. 

373 


374  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [18S9 

I  am  not  speaking  of  our  cowherds  and  servants,  but  of  boys 
vn  ho  are  with  us  to  be  taught.  Among  them  was  a  Mombunda 
whom  we  are  very  fond  of;  but  the  Mambunda  are  terribly 
savage  and  independent ;  they  cannot  bear  to  see  one  of 
themselves  transformed,  as  they  believe,  into  a  white  man. 
His  parents  have  found  a  wife  for  him — a  child — and  they 
have  succeeded  in  making  the  boy  leave  us.  We  have  another, 
whom  we  consider  as  an  answer  to  our  prayers.  He  is  a 
Moshukulumboe,  who  may  be  about  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old. 
As  scullion  to  the  king,  he  often  accompanied  his  master  on 
his  visits  to  Sefula.  When  I  went  to  Lealuyi,  he  never  failed 
at  the  meetings.  I  cannot  say  that  the  dear  boy  has  religious 
needs — they  will  come,  I  hope  ;  but  he  has  such  a  strong 
desire  to  learn,  that  he  asked  the  king  to  be  allowed  to  come 
to  us.  How  can  one  close  the  door  to  him  ?  He  learns  so 
zealously  that  he  will  soon  read  fluently.  We  pray  much 
for  this  young  man.  Who  knows  if  God  may  have  chosen  him 
to  carry  the  Gospel  to  his  native  country  and  his  savage 
countrymen.^  Since  I  wrote  to  you  last,  several  bands  of 
Mashukulumboe  have  come  to  make  their  submission  and  to 
render  homage  to  the  king  of  the  Barotsi.  Lewanika  generally 
sends  them  to  Sefula,  which  gives  us  an  opportunity  of  showing 
them  some  kindness.  This  is  a  tribe  that  interests  us  deeply, 
and  among  whom  we  hope  to  see  the  Gospel  penetrate  one 
way  or  other. 

We  have  another,  and  no  less  interesting,  young  man  in 
our  house.  He  may  be  about  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old. 
It  is  Litia  himself,  the  son  of  Lewanika.^  He  is  hungering 
for  instruction,  and  he  has  plenty  of  brains.  For  a  long 
time,  he  has  entreated  us  to  receive  him  as  a  member  of  our 
large  family.  His  father,  who  refuses  him  nothing,  joins  in 
his  entreaties.  You  must  know  the  natives  to  understand 
the  reason  of  our  refusal.  We  are  afraid  of  this  young  man's 
retinue,  and  of  his  authority  in  the  house  beside  our  own.  His 
persistence  has  won  us  over  at  last. 

"  I  will  be  another  Nguana-Ngombe  for  you,"  he  said  to  me  ; 
"  I  will  do  all  you  tell  me  ;  I  will  not  be  a  Nguana-Illorcna  "  (a 

'  This  boy,  Nyondo,  eventually  became  a  satisfactory  convert,  and  is  now 
preparing  to  be  a  catechist. 

"  Litia,  though  a  pupil,  had  liitherto  had  his  own  separate  establishment. 


i889]  A    SALE   OF    BIBLES  375 

prince),  "  but  a  mosJumanc  "  (a  serf),  "  if  only  you  will  receive  me. 
Why  have  you  taken  Nyondo"  (the  Moshukulumboe  referred  to) 
"  and  not  me  ?  And  yet  I  asked  long  before  he  did."  The  poor 
boy,  who  is  unhappy  in  his  village,  spent  his  whole  days  with  us, 
taking  part  in  all  the  manual  work  possible,  interesting  himself 
in  everything  like  a  child  of  the  house  ;  nothing  was  beneath 
him.  His  happiness,  when  he  left  me,  was  to  read  with  Nguana- 
Ngombe,  and  to  share  his  food.  Why  not  give  way  ?  With 
all  this,  Litia  is  not  very  communicative,  and  for  a  long  time 
we  have  been  lost  in  conjectures  as  to  the  real  reasons  that 
attract  him  to  us.  We  believe  at  times  that  he  has  religious 
needs,  which  he  does  not  quite  understand  himself.  His  father 
wants  to  send  him  to  Ivlangwato  to  see  a  little  of  the  world. 
My  own  desire  is  to  send  him  to  Morija. 

After  having  told  you  about  Litia,  it  is  natural  that  I  should 
speak  a  word  about  our  school.  I  reopened  it  on  my  return 
from  Sesheke,  but  we  have  not  yet  succeeded  in  reassembling  the 
hundred  odd  pupils  that  we  had  six  months  ago.  Our  present 
number  is  only  seventy.  In  some  respects,  this  diminution 
has  its  advantages.  The  spirit  prevailing  among  our  children 
is  excellent.  One  very  hopeful  feature  is  their  passion  for  read- 
ing. A  holiday  to  them  is  a  day  of  privation,  and  generally 
they  besiege  my  door  and  encumber  my  verandah  to  obtain 
the  loan  of  the  school  books,  of  which  I  may  say  in  passing 
we  are  obliged  to  take  great  care. 

Among  pur  luggage,  I  brought  from  Sesheke  a  little  box  of 
books — two  Bibles  only,  of  which  one  was  publicly  presented 
to  the  king,  and  the  other  reserved  for  our  first  convert  ;  but 
from  the  moment  they  knew  that  the  New  Testament  and  the 
hymns  were  for  sale  our  pupils  were  jubilant.  One  brought 
his  ox,  another  went  to  demand  a  calf  of  his  father,  and  for 
each  we  made  a  little  packet  of  books  and  garments  to  the 
value  of  his  animal.  You  should  have  seen  one  charming  little 
boy  coming  joyfully  to  tell  me  that  his  heifer  had  come  ;  and  soon 
afterwards,  sure  enough,  a  pretty  creature  of  two  years  old  was 
gambolling  in  our  court.  The  whole  school  was  present ;  and 
when  I  brought  the  books,  with  a  shirt  and  some  pieces  of  stuff, 
there  was  a  general  exclamation  of  surprise.  The  little  fellow 
came  up,  his  eyes  sparkling  with  delight  ;  and  he  no  sooner  had 
the  books  in  his  hand  than  he  jumped  and  skipped  like  his  own 


376  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1889 

heifer,  and  ran  into  the  village,  followed  by  all  his  companions. 
You  must  not  exaggerate  my  thought,  and  see  already  an 
awakening  among  the  children.  No ;  but  the  germ  may  be 
there.  For  us  it  is  a  marvellous  thing  that  these  heathen 
children,  who  hardly  know  how  to  read,  should  desire  to  possess 
the  Word  of  God.  It  is  no  less  marvellous  that  their  heathen 
parents  should  furnish  them  with  the  means  of  procuring  it — 
they  who  know  nothing  of  the  Gospel.  Then,  again,  they  take 
quite  a  peculiar  interest  in  our  daily  worship,  and  our  meetings 
on  Sunday.  Each  follows  the  reading  in  his  book  ;  each  uses 
his  own  hymn-book.  There  is  something  real  now  in  what  we 
do,  and  these  dear  children  take  a  personal  interest  in  it.  Last 
Sunday,  we  counted  nineteen  New  Testaments  and  as  many 
hymn-books  at  the  service;  and  this  movement  continues.  It  will 
continue,  probably,  till  all  who  know  how  to  read  are  provided.^ 
Our  intercourse  with  Lewanika  is  most  agreeable.  He  has 
not  yet  had  that  awakening  of  conscience  which  we  ask  for 
him  ;  but  God  has  inclined  his  heart  towards  the  Gospel.  If 
we  consented,  and  if  we  could,  we  should  have  all  his  children 
under  our  care.  Not  content  to  speak  by  example,  he  would 
pusJi  the  Barotsi  (not  the  serfs  as  yet  ;  he  is  not  so  far  on)  into 
the  right  path.  For  that  reason,  he  sought  counsel  from  my 
wife  during  my  absence.  He  wished,  he  said,  to  build  a  great 
prison.  It  should  be  composed,  not  of  cells,  but  of  three  large 
wards  ;  one  should  be  for  adulterers,  one  for  drunkards,  and 
the  third  should  be  for  those  who  accuse  others  of  sorcery 
(witch-finders).  He  has  also  convoked  a  pitso,  the  result  of 
which  he  has  communicated  to  me  in  an  amusing  letter.  I  had 
advised  him  to  restrict  his  action  with  regard  to  the  beer,  so 
as  not  to  compromise  his  authority."  It  was  decided  that 
sorcerers  were  no  longer  to  be  burnt,  nor  to  have  inoati  adminis- 
tered, but  that  a  special  village  should  be  established — and  it 
is  already  founded — where  the  king  will  send  to  live  all  those 
accused  of  sorcery,  whoever  they  may  be,  or  to  whatever  part 

'  Eighteen  calves  were  thus  bouglit,  and  now  form  a  team  which  has, 
happily,  escaped  the  rinderpest  (1897),  and  has  been  used  to  bring  Mme.  Goy 
(now  a  widow)  out  of  the  country. 

*  Lewanika  of  his  own  accord  had  decided  to  forbid  the  manufacture, 
sale,  and  drinking  of  beer  througliout  his  kingdom.  M.  Coillard  advised  him 
to  confine  this  rdict  at  first  to  his  own  capital,  where  alone  he  could  enforce  it. 


1S89]  SOWING    WHEAT  377 

of  the  kingdom  they  may  belong.  How  do  you  like  the  idea 
of  a  community  of  sorcerers  ?  Generally,  those  accused  of 
witchcraft  are  cantankerous  fellows.  The  new  village  is  not 
far  from  here.  As  to  the  adulterers,  what  a  herculean  reform  ! 
He  has  begun  by  acting  with  rigour  against  a  young  man  of 
royal  blood.  At  once,  there  is  great  indignation  among  the 
Barotsi.  A  serf  laid  by  the  heels  may  pass,  but  a  Morotsi  of 
pure  blood,  a  connexion  even  of  the  king,  what  can  Lcwanika 
be  thinking  of?  Katoka,  his  sister,  publicly  went  and  loosed 
the  young  man.  The  king,  very  indignant,  had  him  bound 
again ;  but  the  opposition  and  murmurs  passed  beyond  his 
powers  of  resistance  ;  and  when  Queen  Mokwae  sent  messengers 
to  deliver  this  Morotsi,  Lewanika  let  her  have  her  way. 

You  may  remember  that  last  year  he  had  built  his  capital 
for  the  Munda  (inundation)  quite  near  here.  Unfortunately, 
the  rise  of  the  water  was  so  slight  that  he  could  not  leave 
Lealuyi.  This  year  promises  better,  and  they  are  rebuilding  the 
village.  When  these  lines  reach  you,  Lewanika  will  be  still  in 
our  neighbourhood.  I  ask  earnestly  for  the  prayers  of  our 
friends  that  this  season  may  be  blessed,  and  that  the  evan- 
gelising may  bear  fruit.  We  do  not  cease  to  ask  God  for  the 
conversion  of  Lewanika. 

We  have  undertaken  a  formidable  piece  of  work — i.e.  a 
canal,  which  is  to  put  us  into  communication  with  the  stream, 
and  by  this  means  we  shall  make  the  evangelisation  of  the 
Valley  easier.  Into  this  work  Nguana-Ngombe  has  put  all 
the  energy,  the  perseverance,  and  the  strength  of  will  with 
which  God  has  gifted  him.  It  is  admirable  to  see  him  leading 
a  band  of  workmen,  and  commanding  their  respect  in  the  way 
he  does.  The  canal  is  two-thirds  done ;  we  hope  that  the 
work  will  be  finished  next  year.  If  only  we  were  not  so 
short  of  spades  !  We  have  also  had  to  recommence  the  drainage 
works  begun  by  M.  Goy.  For  the  third  time,  we  have  tried 
to  sow  European  wheat.  The  first  year,  we  did  not  reap  as 
much  as  we  had  sown  ;  first  the  dampness  of  the  swamp,  and 
then  the  sun,  made  our  harvest  fail.  The  second  year,  we 
reaped  as  much  as  we  had  sown,  but  not  more.  This  year,  we 
have  succeeded  a  little  better,  and  the  harvest  is  double  what 
w  c  have  sown.  We  have  gathered  a  sack  and  a  half  of  wheat. 
Next    year,    if   God    preserves    us,    our   ground    will    be    better 


378  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1890 

prepared,  and  we  shall  have  a  little  more  experience.  The 
garden — alas  !  no  one  has  any  time  to  think  of  it  ;  and  even 
though  Litia  gives  me  a  hand's  turn  now  and  then  at  need, 
we  have  no  vegetables. 

Sefula,  January  6th,   1890. 

The  great  event  of  our  little  world  is  our  New  Year's  school 
feast.  This  feast  has  been  much  talked  of  around  us  ;  but  I 
had  little  energy,  and  my  wife  was  ill.  I  feared  a  fiasco  ;  but 
it  is  wonderful  how  a  sense  of  duty  masters  you  and  spurs  you 
on.  It  even  forces  you  sometimes  to  forget  yourself,  which 
is  a  great  blessing.  The  king  announced  his  intention  of 
coming  with  a  crowd  of  people.  He  wrote  jocularly  to  me 
the  day  before  :  "  I  am  a  great  king,  and  I  shall  come  with 
four  of  my  princesses  "  (his  wives),  "  with  some  grandees,  and 
a  numerous  retinue.  And  I  wonder  how  you  will  manage  to 
receive  all  these  people  in  proper  style  1  " 

Indeed,  it  was  no  small  matter  to  be  invaded  by  people  so 
entirely  destitute  of  discretion.  The  king  graciously  sent  me 
an  ox ;  I  returned  the  compliment  by  offering  him  one  of 
mine.  I  killed  two  others  ;  and  then,  with  a  liberal  distribution 
of  millet,  manioc  flour,  and  curdled  milk,  we  succeeded  in 
meeting  the  exigencies  of  hospitality. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  after  a  short  service,  we  had  a  public 
examination,  composed  chiefly  of  reading,  singing,  and  recitations. 
Lewanika,  book  in  hand,  followed  the  reading  with  great 
interest,  correcting  here,  encouraging  there  ;  for  the  examinations, 
insignificant  as  they  were,  made  even  the  Zambesi  children 
nervous.  Then  came  a  general  distribution  of  stuff,  books, 
copy-books,  and  toys ;  then  games,  played  with  great  interest, 
inspired  by  our  friend  Waddell.  He  even  tried  to  teach  them 
cricket  !  A  sumptuous  feast,  and,  in  the  evening,  a  magic-lantern 
exhibition,  closed  by  firing  a  salute,  wound  up  this  happy  day. 
Everything  went  off  quietly  and  easily.  After  the  distribution 
of  presents,  Lewanika,  who  is  less  of  an  orator  than  anything 
else,  harangued  the  crowd,  which  pressed  round  our  verandah, 
and,  above  all,  reproved  by  name  those  chiefs  who  had  not  yet 
sent  their  children  to  school. 

The  queen,  Mokwae,  only  arrived  the  day  after — also  in 
great  style,  for  she   too   is  a   great  queen — and  the    feast  was 


iSgo]  A    NEW    year's    FEAST  379 

prolonged  in  her  honour.  VVc  even  had  a  second  exhibition 
of  the  magic  lantern,  one  of  the  best  I  have  ever  given.  It 
was  the  first  time  I  was  able  to  interest  my  people  in  serious 
things  ;  and  it  was  delightful,  instead  of  the  stolid  demeanour 
of  former  times,  to  hear  our  children  shouting,  one  above 
the  other,  "  Oh  !  there  is  Abraham,  offering  up  Isaac  !  You 
can  see  the  cords,  the  knife,  the  angel,  the  ram  !  ,  .  .  Look  ! 
it  is  Joseph  ;  he  is  dreaming.  .  .  .  They  are  selling  him.  ,  .  .  He 
is  in  prison.  .  .  .  And  this  great  lord,  it  is  still  Joseph."  .  .  . 
The  evening  has  done  me  good  ;  it  has  been  an  encouragement. 

On  the  Sunday,  our  church  was  filled  ;  the  audience  was 
so  packed  that  we  estimated  it  at  nearly  five  hundred  persons. 
It  was  the  first  time  I  went  up  into  my  new  pulpit.  I  have 
never  occupied  a  more  comfortable  one,  even  in  Europe. 
Mokwae,  together  with  many  others,  was  much  astonished  that 
I  did  not  at  least  share  it  with  "  the  king,  my  brother  and  my 
friend."  The  king  himself  was  troubled  with  other  thoughts. 
He  could  not  allow  women  to  enter  this  house  together  with 
men.  "  Impossible,"  he  said ;  "  they  will  sit  outside,  round 
the  windows,  with  Mokwae  and  my  wives,  and  we  men  will 
fill  the  church."  "  No  !  no ! "  I  said  ;  "  the  house  of  God 
is  for  all,  and  the  women  will  occupy  the  side  reserved  for 
them,  as  they  always  do."  He  argued,  and  clicked  his  tongue, 
but  soon  saw  he  had  nothing  to  gain.  I  had  often  discussed 
the  matter  at  his  house  without  result,  but  here  I  was  on 
my  own  ground. 

The  spectacle  presented  by  the  congregation  was  of  a 
nature  to  impress  the  most  stolid.  Mokwae,  some  of  her 
sisters,  the  wives  of  the  chief,  and  our  fifteen  or  seventeen  young 
girls,  all  arrayed  in  dresses  of  the  most  brilliant  colours,  formed 
an  interesting  group  around  Mme,  Coillard  ;  while  a  good 
number  of  women,  who  could  not  or  dared  not  yet  dress  in 
European  style,  had  bound  their  heads  with  the  handkerchiefs 
of  which  the  men  still  claim  the  exclusive  use.'  The  king 
seemed  struck  by  it.     When  we  entered,  his  old  courtiers  gave 

'  It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  in  South  Africa,  according  to  M.  Coillard's 
experience  both  in  Basuto-laud  and  Barotsi-land,  the  first  indication  on  any 
heathen  woman's  part  of  a  dawning  inclination  towards  Christianity  is  that 
she  bci^ins  to  "cover  her  head" — not  necessarily  in  church,  but  at  home  and 
out  of  doors. 


380  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

the  signal,  and  the  whole  assembly  began  to  clap  hands.  I 
quickly  mounted  the  steps  of  the  pulpit,  and  imposed  silence, 
reminding  them  that  this  was  the  house  of  God,  where  one 
recognised  none  but  Him,  and  that  once  outside  they  could 
do  honour  to  their  king  as  much  as  they  liked.  I  then 
made  all  the  men  uncover  their  heads.  The  cotton  caps  and 
handkerchiefs  disappeared  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  I  had 
a  serious  and  attentive  audience. 

We  enjoyed  Lewanika's  visit,  as  we  always  do  ;  he  himself 
seemed  so  pleased  with  it,  that  he  begged  me  to  allow  him 
to  make  use  of  Aaron's  dwelling  till  he  could  have  another 
place  built  at  Sefula.  Mokwae  remained  some  days  longer, 
"  to  see  her  dear  Mother,"  in  reality  to  make  her  cut  out  and 
sew  dresses.  My  poor  wife,  so  ill  and  weak  as  she  is !  Mokwae 
was  well  aware  that  she  had  only  dragged  herself  out  of  bed 
to  see  her.     But  what  right  have  we  white  people  to  be  ill  ? 

Sefula,  February  26th,  1890. 

My  wife  and  I  are  happily  together  this  time  to  celebrate 
the  twenty-ninth  anniversary  of  our  marriage ;  and  in  order 
to  enjoy  more  of  each  other's  society,  we  have  given  the  school 
a  holiday — so  we  are  holding  festival.  Unhappily,  my  poor 
wife  is  ill,  and  has  spent  the  whole  day  on  her  bed  ;  she  is 
only  well  there.  But  duty,  the  great  drill  sergeant,  is  pitiless, 
and  urges  us  on  as  harshly  as  a  corporal  making  his  men 
march.  But  these  efforts  daily  repeated  cost  us  daily  more. 
In  spite  of  that,  would  you  believe  we  have  had  a  picnic, 
about  two  hundred  paces  from  the  house,  under  a  fine  tree,  in 
whose  shadow  we  said  we  should  like  to  repose  till  the  Resurrec- 
tion morn  ?  A  little  forest  path  leads  to  it.  We  are  quite 
close  to  the  house,  and  yet  in  the  middle  of  the  woods.  My 
wife  had  had  a  mat  carried  out  there,  when  a  heavy  shower 
came  on.  We  let  it  pass,  and  had  our  tea  all  the  same  with 
M.  Jalla  and  Waddell.  In  the  evening,  two  of  us  out  of 
four  had  fever.  That  is  the  Zambesi !  We  sometimes  wish  we 
could  live  instead  of  vegetating. 

April  2,th,   1890. 

The  metamorphosis  has  really  begun.  Before  long,  our 
Zambesian  solitudes  may  very  well  become  a  new  centre  of 
life  and  civilisation.     Why  not  ?     We  are  already  dreaming  of 


iSgo]  TEMPERANCE    REGULATIONS  38 1 

tclcs^raphs,  railroads,  rct^ular  and  frequent  postal  services,  and 
transport  without  the  nightmare  of  losing  oxen  ;  and  the  dream 
is  beginning  to  come  true  already.  Only  think,  at  the  beginning 
of  the  month,  we  received  the  almanacs  that  do  not  generally 
come  before  the  end  of  October  !  It  is  because  the  country  is 
opening  up.  And  it  will  open  up  more  and  more,  whether  vvc 
wish  it  or  not.  Last  year  a  concession  was  made  to  a  mining 
company.  This  year  it  is  another  and  a  very  powerful 
company,  which,  by  a  charter  from  the  British  Government,  has 
received  full  power  to  acquire,  conquer,  and  govern  all  the 
vast  country  stretching  north  of  Khama's  domains,  from  the 
Portuguese  possessions  on  the  east  to  the  Portuguese  possessions 
on  the  west,  without  limits.  It  has  already  assimilated  all 
existing  companies.  It  is  a  formidable  tool  in  the  hands  of  the 
English  Government ;  and  its  representatives,  who  have  come 
to  treat  with  Lewanika,  do  not  conceal  the  fact  that  their  aim 
is  above  all  a  political  one.  In  this  great  European  struggle 
for  Central  Africa,  England  is  taking  energetic  measures  to 
assure  herself  the  lion's  share.  Should  we  blame  her  ?  Ought 
we  to  be  glad  or  sorry  for  it  ?  Who  can  read  the  future  ? 
The  great  thing  is  to  remember  that,  amid  the  surging  of  the 
nations,  God  reigns. 

When  we  cast  a  look  around  us,  we  shudder  with  horror, 
so  thick  is  the  darkness,  so  fearful  the  corruption.  A  very  dear 
friend  has  written  to  me :  "  Success  is  not  only  the  good  that 
you  do,  but  also  the  evil  that  you  hinder."  The  evil  that  we 
hinder  we  shall  probably  never  know  in  its  entirety.  But  we 
are  permitted  sometimes  to  know  something  of  it.  I  have 
spoken  of  the  village  of  sorcerers  which  the  king  has  founded 
in  our  neighbourhood.  Now,  it  is  worth  remarking,  that  since 
the  atrocious  murder  of  Moeya-nyana,  one  of  the  king's 
favourites,  which  I  related  to  you  three  years  ago,  no  one  that  I 
know  of  has  been  put  to  death  for  sorcery.  The  king  is  justly 
very  proud  of  it.  Having  himself  given  up  intoxicating  drink, 
he  wished  to  constrain  all  the  chiefs  to  do  the  same.  For  a 
long  time  now,  no  beer  has  been  drunk  in  the  lekhothla,  and 
Lewanika  has  formally  forbidden  its  being  made  in  the  capital. 
They  have  grumbled  a  great  deal,  but  submitted.  I  think  the 
Barotsi  take  their  revenge  when  they  go  to  their  own  villages. 
Another    reform   which  has    made   progress    is   that  of  the 


382  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

slave-trade.  The  king  himself  is  very  kind  to  his  slaves. 
This  year,  a  caravan  of  black  merchants  came  from  Bihe.  The 
king  learnt  that,  contrary  to  his  express  prohibition,  these 
Mambari  were  secretly  laying  in  a  stock  of  "  black  ivory." 
When  they  were  on  the  point  of  leaving,  Lewanika  freed  all 
the  slaves,  and  fined  the  Mambari  heavily,  or,  rather,  confis- 
cated a  part  of  their  ivory. 

M.  Adolphc  J  alia  has  been  our  guest  for  two  months,  and 
is  a  great  help  to  me  in  the  school.  Unhappily,  this  dear  friend 
is  only  a  temporary  aid  ;  for,  in  accordance  with  our  decisions, 
he  is  going  to  found  his  own  station  at  Kanyonyo,  and  we  have 
no  other  reinforcement  in  view.  Since  the  beginning  of  the 
year,  our  school  has  passed  through  all  sorts  of  turns  and 
fluctuations  of  fortune.  For  some  time,  it  has  been  increasing, 
and  we  have  now  seventy  pupils,  of  which  the  greater  number 
desire  nothing  so  much  as  to  advance.  My  wife  is  incapable 
of  helping  me.  I  myself  have  not  enjoyed  my  usual  good 
health  since  the  beginning  of  the  year.  Whatever  may  happen,  we 
will  occupy  the  post  and  defend  the  fort  till  you  send  us  help. 

Our  Sunday  audiences  keep  up  well,  and  gain,  I  think,  in 
earnestness  and  attention.  But  though  we  look,  we  do  not  see 
as  yet  the  "  little  cloud,  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,"  appear. 
Do  you,  dear  friends,  continue  to  pray  for  us.  At  the  beginning 
of  last  month,  we  had  a  special  week  of  prayer  at  Kazungula, 
Seshckc,  and  Sefula  simultaneously.  We  have  felt  the  need 
of  closing  up  our  ranks  and  of  mutually  sustaining  each  other, 
and  certainly  God  has  blessed  and  fortified  us.  But  we  arc 
waiting  for  a  shower  to  break  up  our  clods  and  make  our 
dusty  furrows  green.  A  brother  wrote  to  me  lately  :  "  If  God 
would  grant  me  the  joy  of  seeing  a  single  conversion  here,  it 
would  be  like  a  new  baptism  to  me."     I  can  well  believe  it. 

Sefula. 
Whit  Sunday,  May  25th,  was  a  day  of  days  for  Sefula.  It 
was  the  baptismal  day  of  Nguana-Ngombe.  The  festival  had 
been  talked  about  for  days.  I  had  duly  informed  Lewanika 
beforehand,  and  Mokwae  also,  who  happened  to  be  in  Lealuyi. 
Both  promised  to  be  with  us  on  the  occasion.  Lewanika,  who 
has  no  notion  of  the  secretaryship  being  a  sinecure,  nor  of 
Scajika's  pen   rusting,  sent  me  letters,  asking  for  details   and 


iSgo]  NGUANA-NGOMBE'S   BAPTISM  383 

explanations  of  the  ceremony.  I  believe  that  in  his  heart  he 
did  not  much  care  to  be  present  at  the  baptism  of  a  Motoka — 
a  serf.  Circumstances  came  to  his  help  :  there  were  political 
disturbances,  and  then  an  army  corps  was  coming  back  from 
an  expedition  to  Lckhoa-khoa  ;  they  were  dying  of  hunger ; 
they  must  be  disbanded  ;  but,  first  of  all,  exorcised  and  purified, 
which  only  the  king  can  do.  So,  "to  his  great  regret,"  he  could 
not  be  present.  We  felt  all  the  more  keenly  the  absence  of 
Karumba  and  Seajika,  who  servilely  followed  the  king  to  these 
heathen  ceremonies. 

The  same  day,  a  woman  died  near  us,  who  had  a  great 
many  relatives  in  the  neighbourhood.  Consequently,  nobody 
could  come,  not  even  our  usual  auditors  ;  so  that  the  congre- 
gation that  day  was  smaller  than  usual.  But  the  Lord  was 
with  us,  and  it  was  a  happy  and  blessed  festival.  In  my 
preaching,  I  made  a  special  appeal  to  the  young  men  of  our 
school  and  household.  Nguana-Ngombe  spoke  under  the  influ- 
ence of  an  ill-controlled  emotion.  He  particularly  addressed 
himself  to  his  tJiaka  (young  men  of  his  own  age),  after  having 
once  again  told  the  tale  of  his  conversion,  and  made  a  touching 
profession  of  faith.  He  ended  by  saying  :  "  And  you,  my  friends, 
why  are  you  not  converted  ?  You  say  that  it  is  not  fit  for  you 
to  outrun  your  masters,  that  you  wish  to  enjoy  your  youth  and 
take  several  wives.  You  are  afraid  too,  for  the  things  of  God 
are  still  an  unknown  abyss  to  you.  And  so  you  make  a  njoko  of 
me  "  (a  monkey).  "  You  say, '  Wait ;  let  us  see  first  where  Nguana- 
Ngombe  will  fall — on  a  carpet  of  green  grass,  or  among  thorns.' 
That  is  what  the  baboons  do.  When  they  are  hunting,  and 
find  a  promising  place,  they  throw  one  of  their  young  ones 
into  it,  to  see  if  there  are  no  wasps  or  snares.  If  the  monkey 
child  is  bitten  or  stung  or  attacked,  if  any  misfortune  happens 
to  it,  they  leave  it  to  its  fate,  and  take  to  their  heels.  If,  on 
the  contrary,  it  finds  peace  and  abundance,  they  swoop  down, 
chase  it,  and  seize  its  booty.  I  do  not  know  how  far  I  can 
answer  for  the  future,  but  what  I  can  say  is  this  :  '  I  was  a 
sinner,  a  great  sinner,  and  Jesus  has  saved  me.     I  am  His.' "  * 

>  Author's  Note. — We  asked  Nguana-Ngombe  for  some  e.xplanations  of  this 
novel  feature  of  natural  history.  He  told  us  that  he  had  been  brought  up  in  the 
woods,  and  that  his  parents  had  often  made  him  observe  this  fact ;  moreover, 
that  it  is  so  generally  known  among  those  that  inhabit  the  forests  tliat  it  has 
passed  into  n  proverb  :   "  They  have  made  a  iijokn  of  tliat  man." 


384  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

M.  Adolphe  Jalla,  in  an  address  delivered  in  very  correct 
Sesuto,  welcomed  him  into  the  Church  as  a  brother — an  expres- 
sion which  sounded  strangely  in  the  ears  of  our  Zambesians.  He 
spoke  from  his  heart,  and  was  himself  much  moved.  I  then  put, 
in  a  somewhat  modified  form,  the  questions  which  are  used  in 
Basuto-land.  Nguana-Ngombe,  standing  up  before  the  assembly, 
answered  in  a  firm,  distinct  voice ;  then  kneeling  down,  he 
received,  with  the  name  of  Andreas,  the  seal  of  baptism. 

At  the  second  service,  M.  Adolphe  Jalla  also  made  an  im- 
pressive appeal.  In  the  afternoon,  towards  the  evening,  we  had 
the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  church  for  the  first  time.  It  was  a 
public  testimony  which  I  thought  necessary,  but  which  cost  us 
a  great  deal.  Nevertheless,  it  was  a  solemn  and  blessed  moment. 
I  had  taken  the  precaution  of  emptying  the  front  seats  ;  and  in 
spite  of  our  apprehensions,  everything  passed  off  in  perfect  order 
and  complete  silence.  Oh,  if  you  only  knew  what  a  cruel  trial 
mockery  is,  and  how  difficult  it  is  to  face  it !  And  the  Zam- 
besians  are  past-masters  in  this  art.  Mme.  Gonin,  the  widow 
of  one  of  my  former  fellow-students  and  friends,  a  pastor  in 
Brighton,  has  just  sent  me  the  beautiful  communion  service 
which  he  used  in  his  church,  as  a  souvenir.  To  me  personally, 
this  circumstance  added  one  more  element  of  interest  and 
emotion.  As  I  said,  Nguana-Ngombe  took  the  name  of 
Andreas  (Andrew).  He  liked  it,  because,  he  said,  "  he  was  the 
first  who  followed  Jesus."  Of  all  our  young  men,  Litia  seemed 
the  most  impressed.  "  How  happy  you  are,"  he  said  to  his 
friend,  coming  out  of  the  church — "  how  happy  you  are  ! "  "  And 
why  should  you  not  be  so  too  ?  "  asked  Andreas. 

While  we  were  thus  holding  festival  in  the  church,  we  were 
passing  through  times  of  great  political  agitation  and  anxiety. 
You  have  heard  of  the  formation  of  the  great  South  African 
Company.  It  has  received  from  the  British  Government  a 
charter,  which  will  give  it  powers  similar  to  that  of  the  great 
East  India  Company.  It  has  already  extended  its  protectorate 
over  the  Matabele  country.  It  has  also  sent  an  expedition  to 
treat  with  Lewanika,  which  was  going  on  to  Msidi  (Mosili) 
(where  our  brother  Arnot  is  working),  thence  to  reach  Lake 
Nyassa  and  the  mouth  of  the  Zambesi.  This  expedition,  for 
some  reason  or  other,  broke  up  when  it  reached  the  Zambesi, 
and  only  its  chief,  Mr.  Lochner,  with  a  servant,  came  to  the 


iSgo]  THE    BRITISH    SOU'ITI    AFRICAN    COMPANY  385 

Valley,  ill,  and  short  of  everything  in  the  way  of  provisions. 
To    offer    him    hospitality    at    Sefula    was    a    manifest    duty. 

Mr.  Lochncr  is,  I  believe,  an  oflicer  of  the  Mounted  Police, 
probably  better  adapted  for  camp  life  than  for  diplomacy. 
His  arrival  in  the  country  was  the  signal,  or  the  occasion, 
for  inconceivable  conspiracies  and  intrigues.  Evilly  disposed 
persons  sent  about  a  report  in  the  Sesheke  province  that 
the  missionaries — and  that  was  aimed  directly  at  me — had 
already  induced  Lewanika  to  sell  a  part  of  his  countr\-, 
and  that  they  were  preparing  to  sell  the  rest.  This  spread 
like  a  prairie  fire.  Suspicion  is  the  weak  point  of  the  native 
character  ;  and  these  suspicions  were  stirred  up  to  such  a 
point,  being  fanned  by  the  general  discontent,  especially  that 
of  the  chiefs,  that  we  were  led  to  expect  anything,  even  a 
revolution  ;  even  to  being  maltreated  ourselves  and  expelled 
from  the  country.  The  chiefs  of  Sesheke  took  a  very  high  tone. 
Secret  messengers — for  nothing  here  is  done  openly — followed 
each  other  to  Lealuyi  without  ceasing ;  everything  pointed  to 
a  violent  opposition.  Poor  Lewanika  seemed  at  times  to  be 
perfectly  distracted  amid  all  these  intrigues.  Mr.  Lochner 
himself,  ill-advised  from  the  beginning,  thought  it  would  be 
good  policy  to  scatter  presents  lavishly.  The  Barotsi  accepted 
them  all  greedily,  laughed  in  their  sleeves,  and  mocked  him 
behind  his  back,  saying,  "  Poor  innocent !  he  fancies  we  don't 
see  through  him  ;  he  is  trying  to  cut  a  road  through  our 
jungle." 

The  king  himself,  excited  and  embittered,  did  not  show 
himself  in  the  best  light,  and  more  than  once  his  negotiations 
with  Mr.  Lochner  narrowly  missed  breaking  off  short  in  an 
angry  broil.  I  in  my  turn  had  to  speak  out,  and  threaten  the 
king  to  wash  my  hands  of  his  affairs  if  he  did  not  treat  them 
with  more  dignity  and  uprightness.  He  offered  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  Company  fourteen  oxen  for  slaughter  as  a 
gift  of  welcome,  and  at  the  same  time  politely  declined  the 
rather  considerable  presents  the  latter  pressed  upon  him,  while 
business  was  still  being  transacted.  This  was  wise  on  his 
part  At  the  same  time,  he  came  to  Sefula,  with  Mokwae 
and  a  good  number  of  his  principal  chiefs,  to  spend  several 
days,  at  Mr.  Lochner's  invitation,  under  the  pretext  of  Deing 
presentat  a  feast  which   the  latter,  as  a  loyal  Briton,  wished 

25 


386  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

to  give  in  honour  of  the  Queen's  birthday.  The  24th  of  May 
was  past ;  we  were  at  the  beginning  of  June.  No  matter ; 
Mr.  Lochner  killed  three  or  four  oxen  ;  and  in  the  evening, 
after  my  little  magic-lantern  exhibition,  given  in  honour  of 
this  visit  of  the  authorities  of  the  country,  he  treated  us  to  a 
display  of  fireworks.  At  the  first  rocket,  there  was  a  general 
commotion,  and  1  began  to  fear  a  scuffle  and  accidents.  But 
order  was  quickly  restored  ;  and  every  rocket,  every  Roman 
candle,  every  Bengal  fire,  each  more  wonderful  than  the  other, 
was  greeted  with  suppressed  exclamations  of  admiration  and 
bewilderment. 

You  can  understand  that  the  real  aim  of  the  king's  visit 
was  a  more  serious  one.  Both  he  and  his  councillors  wanted 
thoroughly  to  understand  the  burning  question  of  the  day, 
before  the  meeting  of  the  Grand  National  Assembly  which  was 
about  to  be  convoked.  This  I  desired  no  less  than  they, 
and  had  therefore  made  a  translation  in  writing  of  all  the 
documents. 

On  June  20th,  the  country  being  submerged,  the  king's 
canoes  came  to  fetch  M.  A.  Jalla  and  me.  Mr.  Lochner,  at 
my  suggestion,  preceded  us  by  several  days.  It  was  important 
to  avoid  anything  which  in  the  eyes  of  the  natives  might 
identify  us  with  his  mission.  The  pitso  or  National  Assembly, 
and  the  Council  of  the  Chiefs,  lasted  five  days — and  five  days 
well  filled,  M.  Jalla  and  I  were  careful  to  bring  out  clearly 
the  definite  and  perpetual  character  of  the  concession,  which 
is  equivalent  to  the  complete  abandonment  of  the  country 
under  certain  conditions.  In  the  National  Assembly,  as  in 
the  Chiefs'  Council,  I  applied  myself  to  a  thorough  definition 
of  the  difference  between  the  concession  of  last  year,  which 
has  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Company,  and  the  one  now 
occupying  our  attention.  Sharply  and  with  all  the  authority 
I  could  command,  I  rebuked  the  Sesheke  chiefs  who  were 
present,  the  king  himself  and  his  councillors,  for  lending  an 
ear  to  the  first-comer,  when  the  affairs  of  the  nation  are  in 
question.  I  had  the  right  to  do  so.  When  I  protested  my 
nationality,  and  my  disinterestedness  in  these  transactions,  they 
responded  on  all  sides,  "  Yes,  yes  !  we  know  you  are  not 
English ;  you  are  French  ;  you  are  our  Mornti,  our  father,  and 
you  watch   over  our   interests."     I    exhorted    them    neither   to 


iSgo]  TREATY    WITH    LEWANIKA  387 

accept  nor  reject  blindly  the  proposals  midc  to  them,  but  to 
ask  My.  Lochner  and  me  all  the  questions  which  preoccupied 
them  ;  and  they  did  so.  Some  were  good  and  intelligent  ones  ; 
others  ridiculous.  But  it  was  evident  that  general  opinion 
was  in  favour  of  the  Company's  protectorate.  If  there  is 
one  man  who  perfectly  understands  the  situation,  it  is  certainly 
Lewanika  himself,  and  it  is  on  him  and  on  his  council  that  all 
the  responsibility  of  these  important  transactions  rests. 

The  treaty  having  been  translated  and  explained,  I  do  not 
know  how  many  times,  it  was  signed  publicly  in  sight  of  the 
whole  p/tso  on  Friday,  June  27th.  It  conceded  the  mining 
rights  of  the  whole  country  to  the  Company  exclusively, 
reserving  over  the  whole  Batoka  territory  4  per  cent,  annually  of 
the  total  output  of  the  mines  in  favour  of  Lewanika  and  his 
successors.  The  country,  which  was  opened  to  all  the  Com- 
pany's employes,  and  to  traders,  was  nevertheless  to  be  closed 
to  emigrants.  The  Company,  extending  its  protectorate  over 
it,  engages  to  defend  it  from  outside  attacks  ;  it  respects  the 
rights  of  the  king  and  chiefs  over  their  subjects,  and  does 
not  interfere  between  them.  It  recognises  the  king's  exclusive 
right  to  hunt  large  game  and  elephants,  and  assures  to  him, 
and  to  his  successors  in  perpetuity,  an  annuity  of  ;£'2,ooo, 
besides  the  dividend  above  mentioned.  The  signing  of  this 
treaty  was  a  curious  spectacle.  All,  under  some  title  or  another, 
wished  to  subscribe  their  marks  to  it.  Those  who  were  sent 
away  went  off  grumbling  ;  others,  squatting  in  front  of  the 
little  table,  would  not  move  till  the  pen  had  been  put  into  their 
hands.  I  believe  the  good  people  imagined  that  they  would 
thus  secure  their  quota  of  7Ha/i — that  is,  money  ! 

The  treaty  having  been  duly  signed  and  witnessed,  Mr. 
Lochner  rose,  and,  in  a  neatly  turned  little  speech,  offered  to  the 
king  the  presents  he  had  had  arranged  on  the  public  place — 
guns,  Martini  rifles,  muskets,  a  splendid  saddle,  bales  of  blankets, 
etc.  The  Gambella  presented  them  to  the  nation,  crouching, 
with  the  upper  part  of  his  body  bared,  and  the  assembly 
applauded  with  much  clapping  of  hands.  Then,  in  the  name 
of  the  king,  he  offered  Mr.  Lochner,  for  the  directors  of  the 
Company  (the  Dukes  of  Fife  and  Abercorn),  the  two  most 
beautiful  tusks  I  had  yet  seen.  Each  weighed  nearly  a  hundred- 
weight ;  and  when  held  up  by  two  men,  they  formed  an  arch 


388  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1S90 

more  than  six  feet  high.^  This  little  ceremony  was  very 
striking,  and  it  dignified  the  conclusion  of  these  important 
assemblies.  The  Barotsi  themselves,  Narubutu,  the  Gambella, 
and  all  the  chiefs  at  their  head,  assembled  before  the  king,  and 
gave  themselves  up  joyfully  to  shouts  of  shoalela. 

This  was  the  end.  At  present,  I  must  abstain  from  com- 
ments. We  have  our  fears  ;  we  also  have  our  hopes.  For  my 
part,  I  have  no  doubt  that  for  the  nation  this  will  prove  the  one 
plank  of  safety.  It  was  not  in  the  power  of  these  tribes,  only 
bound  together  by  the  chains  of  an  abject  and  a  disgraceful 
servitude,  to  oppose  a  permanent  barrier  to  the  invading  floods 
of  emigrants  and  gold-seekers.  To-day,  they  knock  at  the  door 
and  ask  for  a  treaty  ;  to-morrow,  they  would  have  broken  it 
down  and  invaded  the  country  as  masters.  The  Barotsi  are 
incapable  of  governing,  and,  left  to  themselves,  they  would 
before  long  have  annihilated  each  other.  Treacherous  plots 
against  Levvanika,  which  we  thought  extinguished,  still  smoul- 
dered under  the  ashes.  To  realise  this,  one  had  only  to  see 
the  attitude  of  Makoatsa,  Khama's  ambassador,  the  same  one 
who  brought  us  hither,  and  to  hear  his  message,  a  real  menace. 

"  Barotsi,"  he  said,  "  I  have  tasted  a  delicious  food,  and  I 
have  shared  it  with  you  !  What  have  you  done  with  it  ?  I  have 
sent  you  messengers  like  Makoatsa.  How  have  you  received 
them  ?  To-day,  I  hear  sinister  rumours  ;  you  speak  again  of 
revolution.  Take  care  !  Lewanika  is  my  friend  ;  and  if  you 
dare  to  make  attempts  against  his  life  or  power,  I  am  Khama ! 
You  will  see  me  with  your  eyes  and  hear  me."  ^ 

An  interesting  document,  of  which  I  possess  a  copy,  is  the 
delimitation  of  the  frontiers  of  the  kingdom.     Fortunately,  there 

'  They  now  flank  the  chimney-piece  of  the  Company's  Committee  Room 
in  St.  Svvithin's  Lane,  E.C. ;  but  the  king  persists  in  protesting  that  it  was  for 
the  Queen,  through  her  son-in-law  {i.e.  the  Duke  of  Fife),  that  he  gave  the 
tusks. — Atiihor^s  Note. 

"  Khama's  message  related  to  the  Chartered  Company  as  well  as  to  the 
missionary,  both  of  whom  he  had  introduced  to  Levvanika  by  the  same  mes- 
senger, Makoatsa,  his  accredited  and  acknowledged  ambassador  to  Lealuyi. 
Levvanika  desired  British  protection  for  a  double  reason — to  guard  himself 
against  internal  revolutions,  and  against  infractions  of  his  territory  from  with- 
out. Knowing  that  Levvanika  had  applied  to  be  taken  under  the  protectorate 
of  the  Queen,  Khama,  in  response  to  his  request  for  advice,  had  sent  this 
well-known  messenger,  through  whom  (by  letter  and  by  verbal  message)  he 


iSgo]  BOUNDARIES    OF    BAROTSI-LAND  389 

were  chiefs  at  all  the  extremities  of  the  country,  which  gives 
it  great  value.  In  a  general  way,  the  boundary,  taking  for  its 
point  of  departure  the  confluence  of  the  Kafu6  with  the  Zambesi, 
extends  up  the  river  to  the  junction  of  the  Chobe  (Linyanti  or 
Quando).  On  the  west,  it  extends  up  this  river,  the  Linyanti, 
as  far  as  the  twentieth  degree  east  longitude  of  Greenwich ;  on 
the  north,  it  follows  the  watershed  of  the  Congo  and  Zambesi 
to  the  Kafue,  whose  course  it  follows  on  the  east  (across 
the  country  of  the  Mashukulumboe)  to  its  junction  with  the 
Zambesi :  a  gross  superficial  area  of  two  hundred  thousand  square 
miles.  From  twenty  to  twenty-five  principal  tribes  are  scattered 
through  this  vast  territory ;  but  you  must  not  conclude  from 
this  that  the  country  is  populated,  or  that  the  numerous  tribes 
form  a  homogeneous  nation — that  would  be  a  great  mistake. 
It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  nevertheless,  that  all  these  tribes 
acknowledge  the  authority  of  Lewanika,  and  regularly  pay 
tribute  to  him.  Although  he  does  not  interfere  in  their  internal 
administration,  his  representatives  (his  Residents)  exercise  a 
general  supervision. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  preoccupations,  the  post  from 
Europe  has  arrived.  It  announces  numerous  deaths.  M.  Joussc's 
was  a  heavy  blow  to  us.  For  more  than  thirty  years,  he  had 
been  a  faithful  friend  to  me.  It  was  he  who  initiated  me  into 
the  practical  details  of  missionary  life,  and  to  him  is  due  the 
foundation  of  the  Leribe  station.^  A  Frenchman  by  birth,  he 
remained  pre-eminently  French  in  the  midst  of  foreign  influ 
ences,  which  tend  more  or  less  to  alter  the  character  ;  and 
this  was  another  tie  to  bind  us.  He  was  at  once  a  man  of 
heart  and  a  man  of  action.     And  when  he  had  reason  to  reverse 

strongly  recommended  Mr.  Lochner  and  his  mission.  So  also  did  the  Adminis- 
trator of  Bechuana-land,  Sir  Sidney  Sheppard,  and  tlie  ll\p,h  Commissioner 
liimself,  giving  Lewanilta  to  understand  that  what  the  Chartered  Company  iiad 
to  offer  was  what  Lewanika  really  wanted. 

Naturally,  therefore,  Lewanika  treated  with  the  Company  as  truly  repre- 
senting the  British  Government,  whose  protectorate  he  craved.  Hence  his 
anger  and  utter  dismay  when  he  awoke  to  the  real  fact,  altiiough  it  had  been 
fully  explained  to  him  before,  that  the  Chartered  Company  is  not  the  British 
Government  itself. — Author's  Note. 

1  M.  Th(5ophile  Jousse,  well  known  in  Soutli  Africa  as  a  distinguished 
member  of  the  S.M.E.P.  in  Basnto-land.  He  had  retired  from  tlie  foreign 
field,  and  died  in  France  in  tlic  midst  of  active  labours  on  b.-lialf  of  missions. 


390  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

a  too  severe  or  premature  judgment,  he  was  the  first  to 
acknowledge  it,  with  admirable  candour.  His  attitude  on  the 
subject  of  the  Barotsi  Mission  was  a  striking  example  of  this. 
He  disapproved  of  it,  and  even  fought  against  it.  "  Though 
I  am  no  prophet,"  I  wrote  to  him  once,  "  to-day  you  figlit 
against  this  mission,  brother  Jousse ;  one  day,  you  yourself 
will  be  pleading  its  cause."  And  only  a  little  while  ago,  he 
wrote  to  me  about  it :  "  My  '  History  of  the  Barotsi  Mission ' 
is  just  going  through  the  press  ;  it  is  my  last  effort  and  my 
last  labour,  after  which  I  shall  await  my  Master's  call.  He  will 
not  delay."     Now  he  has  entered  into  rest. 

With  this  post,  we  again  received  the  saddest  news  from 
Sesheke.  I  therefore  hastened  my  departure.  In  the  midst 
of  my  preparations,  we  had  an  alarm,  of  which  I  must  say  a 
few  words. 

M.  Adolphe  Jalla  had  to  return  to  Lealuyi  after  the  pitso 
for  important  business.  The  next  day,  he  came  back  late  to 
Sefula.  It  was  1 1  p.m.  when  we  all  separated.  Tov/ards  mid- 
night, light  taps  on  the  walls  of  our  bedroom  (closed  by 
a  simple  curtain),  and  the  soft  voice  of  our  little  Samocheta, 
snatched  us  from  the  depths  of  our  first  sleep.  "  My  father,  the 
roof  of  the  kitchen  is  on  fire  !  "  With  one  bound,  I  was  at  the 
spot,  and  my  wife  closely  followed  me.  Andreas  (Nguana- 
Ngombe)  was  on  the  roof  with  some  others,  pouring  buckets 
of  water  on  the  flames.  In  an  instant,  all  our  girls  and  boys, 
directed  by  my  dear  wife  and  M.  Jalla,  were  vying  with  each 
other  in  goodwill ;  some  ran  to  the  river,  others  searched  all 
over  the  house  for  the  last  drop  of  water,  while  Litia  and  the 
other  boys  passed  the  buckets.  Andreas  struggled  bravely 
on  the  roof,  in  spite  of  the  intolerable  heat.  The  tocsin  was 
sounded,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country,  and  the  forest 
resounded  with  cries  of  alarm.  Some  of  the  school  children, 
attracted  by  curiosity,  came  running  to  see  the  dreadful  sight, 
wrapped  up  in  rugs  and  skins,  for  the  cold  was  intense ;  but 
when  they  were  sent  for  water,  they  fled  to  the  village.  The 
elder  ones,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  remained  in  bed,  "  over- 
come," they  said  next  day,  "  by  cold  and  sleepiness."  As  the 
smoke  still  increased,  I  ordered  Andreas  to  tear  the  thatch  off 
the  roof  Then  I  went  inside  to  see  what  I  could  do  with  a 
hand-pump.     At  this  moment,  Andreas  made  a  hole.     A  bright 


iSgo]  A    HOUSE    ON    FIRE  39 1 

flame  leaped  out  of  the  thatch  and  asccadcd  to  the  roof  ridge. 
"  It  is  all  up,"  I  said  to  Adolphe  Jalla  ;  "  the  house  and  out- 
buildings will  all  be  burnt  down  ;  let  us  save  what  we  can." 
I  sought  my  wife  to  warn  her.  Going  into  the  dining-room,  I 
cast  my  eyes  on  our  harmonium,  for  we  shall  yet  live  to  sing. 
My  selection  could  only  be  limited,  and  my  mind  was  quickly 
made  up.  My  wife,  self-possessed,  as  in  all  great  emergencies, 
calmly  set  to  work.  Andreas,  Litia,  and  the  other  boys  did  not 
quit  their  post  ;  and  it  is  their  courage  and  coolness  which  in 
God's  hands  have  saved  us.  By  3.30  a.m.,  we  had  completely 
mastered  the  fire.  Is  it  not  wonderful?  In  Basuto-land,  we 
had  galvanised  iron  over  our  heads.  Here  we  have  thatch — and 
thatch,  too,  dried  by  months  of  tropical  sunshine  without,  and 
within  by  the  constant  fire  of  the  kitchen.  With  our  walls  of 
stakes  and  reeds,  on  this  sandy  hill,  far  from  water  and  help, 
what  could  have  saved  us,  without  a  special  intervention  of 
Providence?  The  cause  was  a  fire  in  the  chimney,  which  the 
sparks  communicated  to  the  roof.  The  intervention  of  Provi- 
dence was  this.  At  a  particular  moment — ten  minutes  after- 
wards would  have  been  too  late — one  of  our  girls  went  out  into 
the  court,  saw  the  flame,  and  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm,  which 
roused  Andreas.  The  remarkable  thing  is,  that  the  girl,  Aaron's 
former  servant,  was  sleeping  here  for  the  first  time.  She  had 
long  been  begging  us  to  receive  her.  We  could  not  do  so  ;  but 
at  last  my  wife  took  pity  on  her  ;  often  allowed  her  to  share 
the  work  and  food  of  our  girls ;  and  at  last,  conquered  by  her 
entreaties,  we  took  her  in  for  good.  It  was  her  first  night  ;  she 
could  not  sleep — for  joy  no  doubt — or  else  an  angel  woke  her, 
so  that  she  might  save  our  property  and  lives.  We  shudder  at 
the  thought  that  we  might  have  been  without  clothes,  food,  roof, 
or  resources  of  any  kind  in  so  inhospitable  a  country.  It  is  no 
use  thinking  of  iron  roofs  here.  But  we  have  something  better. 
"  Behold,  He  that  keepeth  Israel  shall  neither  slumber  nor  sleep. 
The  Lord  is  thy  keeper"  (Ps.  cxxi.  4,  5). 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

A  Journey  to  Sesheke — Losses  of  Cattle  and  Waggons— M.  Jeanmairet's 
Illness  and  Departure  for  Basuto-land — Arrival  of  Mile.  Kiener — 
Difficulty  of  Obtaining  Canoes — Kazungula — Death  of  the  Jallas'  Second 
Child — Litia's  Courage  and  Progress — The  Absence  of  the  Marriage 
Tie  among  the  Barotsi — Infanticide — The  Tyranny  of  Custom — A  City 
of  Refuge — Progress— An  Ox  to  sell — Return  to  Sefula — Difficulties  of 
Transport — Litia's  Departure  for  Morija. 

Senanga,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Valley, 
July  I'ith,  1890. 

SITTING  doubled  up  on  my  bedding,  in  the  prow  of  my 
canoe,  I  shall  try,  as  I  have  already  done  more  than  once, 
to  make  use  of  the  long  monotonous  hours  for  my  correspond- 
ence. Last  year,  I  promised  myself  that,  once  home  again, 
it  would  need  the  strongest  reasons  and  the  most  unusual 
circumstances  to  tear  me  away.  And  yet,  here  I  am  again  on 
the  way,  and  my  absence  from  Sefula  will  last  two  or  three 
months.  For  the  mission  has  come  to  a  deadlock,  and  I  can 
truly  say  I  have  rarely  had  so  many  dilemmas  to  face  at  once. 

Must  I  sadden  you  again,  by  telling  you  of  the  insurmount- 
able— yes,  up  to  the  present  insurmountable — difficulties  which 
meet  our  land  transport  from  Sesheke  to  Sefula  ?  It  is  a 
wound  in  the  flanks  of  our  mission,  and  I  do  not  know  how 
and  when  it  will  be  healed.  I  am  getting  quite  hopeless  about 
it.  At  the  beginning  of  March,  I  had  sent  Franz  and  Kamburu 
to  Sesheke  with  two  waggons  and  two  extra  teams  of  native 
cattle,  eighteen  oxen  in  each,  which  I  had  procured  by  barter. 
One  was  destined  for  Sesheke,  and  the  other  for  Kazungula  ; 
they  were  to  be  kept  there,  and  used  for  the  transport  service. 
Unfortunately,  M.  Jcanmairct,  who  had  been  planning  for 
some  time  to  come  and  see  us  with  his  family,  and  needed 
Franz's  services  as   a  driver,   thought  to   hasten  his   return   to 

39^ 


^ 

^ 


iSqo]  departure  of  jkanmairets  393 

Scshckc  by  handing  over  to  him  both  the  teams  mentioned 
above.^  Alas!  at  Loanja,  at  the  entrance  of  the  tse-tse 
haunted  woods,  only  three  days  from  Seshcke,  our  old  transport 
waggon  completely  broke  down.  Franz  had  to  ply  to  and  fro 
between  the  place  of  the  accident  and  the  Njoko,  carrying  the 
packages  of  the  two  waggons  in  small  loads.  These  packages 
were  objects  of  barter,  school  and  mission-station  furniture. 
At  the  last  trip,  on  the  banks  of  this  Njoko  of  infamous 
memory,  the  second  waggon  broke  down  in  its  turn.  To 
complete  the  misfortunes,  the  oxen  began  dying  off  ;  and  Franz, 
who,  though  much  improved,  has  no  more  enterprise  than 
he  need  have,  waited  there,  on  the  banks  of  the  Njoko,  two 
hundred  miles  from  Sefula,  for  the  help  which,  without  cither 
waggons  or  oxen  ourselves,  it  was  not  in  our  power  to  send  him. 
Meanwhile,  besides  the  storms  and  political  complications 
which  rendered  my  presence  at  my  post  indispensable,  the  news 
which  one  express  after  another  brought  me  about  M.  Jean- 
mairet's  health  became  more  and  more  alarming.  I  immediately 
sent  to  Franz,  telling  him  to  leave  his  loads  on  the  veldt,  and 
hasten  with  part  of  those  bullocks  still  remaining,  to  bring 
help  to  the  Jeanmairets.  I  wrote  at  the  same  time  to  my 
niece,  trying  to  dissuade  her  from  her  project  of  travelling  to 
Cape  Colony  alone,  in  winter-time,  with  her  little  child  and  her 
sick  husband,  and  to  come  instead  to  Sefula.  We  thought  that 
a  change  of  air,  even  at  the  Zambesi,  complete  rest,  and  assiduous 
care,  might,  with  God's  blessing,  make  my  nephew  better.  Un- 
fortunately, my  letter  crossed  an  express,  telling  us  that,  as 
M.  Jeanmairct's  state  was  becoming  more  serious,  and  an 
English  hunter  had  placed  his  waggon  and  oxen  at  my  niece's 
service  to  leave  the  country  immediately,  she  begged  me  earnestly 
to  send  Franz  to  her,  the  only  driver  we  have  in  the  mission. 
She  thought  he  had  returned  long  since  to  Sefula.  Then  it  seemed 
to  us  imperative  that  I  should  go  myself  to  Scshekc,  judge  de  visa 

'  This  requires  a  word  of  explanation.  Franz  was  returning  to  Sefula 
with  supplies.  M.  Jeanmairct  thought  he  would  travel  faster,  and  come  back 
to  fetch  the  Jeanmairet  family,  if  he  had  double  teams,  and  consequently  gave 
him  the  oxen  (in  addition  to  his  own)  which  were  intended  to  be  kept  at 
Sesheke,  for  transport  between  that  place  and  Kazungula.  The  results  were 
disastrous.  The  Jeanmairets  were  alone  at  Sesheke,  the  L.  JalLis  being  at 
Kazungula. 


394  O^    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [i8yo 

of  the  situation,  and  bring  back  Mile.  Kiener/  whose  departure 
from  Europe  we  have  heard  of  only  at  the  same  time  as  her 
arrival  at  the  Zambesi.  Mr.  Waddell,  with  my  cart,  guided  by 
Karumba,  will  go  to  set  up  our  old  waggons  again,  if  possible, 
and  then  pass  on  to  meet  me  at  Sesheke,  while  I  go  down  the 
river  by  canoe.  In  default  of  oxen,  some  large  calves  will  be 
broken  in  on  the  way,  as  the  cart  is  light 

The  king  has  again  behaved  in  a  manner  worthy  of  himself. 
We  had  just  left  him.  Nevertheless,  he  insisted  on  coming  to 
spend  some  days  at  Sefula,  Jio  laeletsana — a  great  institution 
among  the  Barotsi,  at  which,  spitting  in  each  other's  faces,  they 
make  their  farewell  speeches  and  say  good-bye.  Christians 
"  commend  each  other  to  God  and  to  the  Word  of  His  grace." 
Lewanika  is  not  yet  so  far  on.  But  this  consideration  on  his 
part  and  these  tokens  of  friend -hip  are  none  the  less  precious. 
He,  as  you  know,  has  a  monopoly  of  the  large  canoes  ;  and 
whatever  I  may  do,  I  cannot  procure  them  myself.  He,  poor 
man  !  cannot  satisfy  every  one's  demands.  He  must  have  boats, 
and  not  a  few,  for  the  service  of  his  harem  ;  he  must  also  have 
some  for  hunting,  particularly  for  fishing  ;  and  he  must  have 
others  for  public  use,  and  for  eventualities  ;  so  that  he  himsel 
often  runs  short  of  them.  Lately,  a  trader  has  demanded 
twenty  ;  Mr.  Lochner  took  away  tv\elve  or  thirteen.  So  it  is 
not  surprising  that  I  could  only  get  three  from  him.  But  he 
had  reserved  his  own  for  me.  It  is  forty-three  feet  long,  twenty- 
eight  inches  at  its  greatest  width,  and  twelve  inches  in  depth. 
It  is  very  difficult  nowadays  to  find  tree-trunks  big  enough  to 
make  canoes  this  size.  So  I  shall  travel  in  state  ;  and  Litia,  too, 
will  accompany  us,  as  indeed  is  necessary.^ 


Kazungula,  August  isf,  i8go. 

My  stay  at  Sesheke  has  been  a  most  melancholy  one.  The 
Jeanmairets  were  no  longer  there,  and  everything  showed  it. 
Not  a  soul  to  bid  us  welcome  ;  not  a  dog,  not  even  a  fowl,  to 
give  the  station  a  little  life.  On  the  shore  were  the  fragments 
of  my  old  boat ;  a  little  farther  on,  reed  partitions  thrown  down, 

'  A  young  Swiss  lady  wiio  was  coining  out  to  help  Mme.  Coillard,  and 
is  still  a  valued  member  of  the  mission  staiit. 

'  Litia,  the  king's  eldest  son,  was  going  to  Basuto-land  to  school. 


iSgo]  ARRIVAL    OF    MLLE.    KIENER  395 

palisades  pulled  up,  torn  pholoc^raphs,  papers  everywhere,  broken 
pottery,  and  I  know  not  what  else,  all  bearing  witness  that 
something  like  death  had  passed  there.^  I  waited  a  long  time 
before  Franz,  who  had  the  key,  came  to  open  for  me  the  door 
of  this  beautiful  new  house,  which  had  cost  my  dear  nephew 
so  much  trouble.  And  once  inside  these  rooms,  empty  as  they 
were,  or  littered  with  household  goods  hastily  thrown  together, 
I  felt  such  deep  melancholy  seize  me,  that  I  shut  the  door, 
and  went  to  encamp  two  or  three  hundred  yards  away.  I  still 
hoped  to  reach  M.  and  Mme.  Jeanmairet  at  Kazungula  ;  one 
of  my  old  friends,  whom  I  met  returning  thence  (wishing  no 
doubt  to  give  me  pleasure,  and  probably  to  receive  a  setsiba 
for  his  trouble),  swore  to  me  by  all  his  gods  that  he  had  left 
them  there,  installed  in  their  tent.  His  description  was  so  vivid 
I  felt  almost  tempted  to  believe  it.  The  next  morning,  we 
arrived  at  Kazungula,  only  to  learn  that  my  nephew  and  his 
family  had  left  eight  days  before,  and  were  already  too  far  for 
me  to  think  of  reaching  them  on  foot,  and  giving  them  a  farewell 
kiss.  Where  will  they  go?  God  will  guide  them  ;  yet  it  needs 
a  great  effort  to  silence  our  own  fears  and  anxieties.  Will  they 
return?  When?  God  knows.  Meanwhile,  we  suffer  terrible 
distress  on  their  account. 

One  compensation  for  my  bitter  disappointment  is  the 
arrival  of  Mile.  Kiener.  In  reading  the  Joiij-nal  des  Missions, 
which  I  found  here,  and  in  speaking  to  her,  I  have  been  very 
much  struck  by  the  wonderful  ways  in  which,  unknown  to  us, 
God  has  brought  her  to  the  Zambesi.  She  will  certainly  be 
a  precious  help  to  us. 

An  old  friend,  who  is  neither  a  Frenchman  nor  a  Presbyterian 
like  me,  writes  to  us  that  God  has  abundantly  blessed  him 
in  his  business,  and  that  he  has  made  his  fortune.  "  This  is 
a  talent,"  he  says,  "  which  God  has  confided  to  me,  and  all 
my  desire  is  to  make  use  of  it."  He  wishes  to  maintain 
two  evangelists  under  my  care.  M.  Mabille  just  had  two  who 
were  disposed  to  come.^  What  is  most  astonishing  in  all  this 
is,  that   our  friend,  a   lawyer  by   profession,  has   always    been 

'  M.  Jeanmairet's  state  had  suddenly  become  so  alarming,  that,  to  save 
his  life,  the  family  had  been  obliged  to  leave  in  their  friend's  waggon,  without 
time  for  preparation  or  information  to  the  others. 

-  At  the  Morija  Training  School  in  Basuto-land. 


396  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

a  zealous  evangelist  himself,  though  without  the  title.  His 
prosperity  has  not  diminished  his  zeal  for  the  evangelisation, 
not  only  of  the  whites,  but  of  the  blacks,  in  the  great  centres 
of  the  diamond  fields  and  gold  mines.  Oh  the  power  of  the 
love  of  Jesus !  It  laughs  at  the  barriers  which  often  separate 
the  children  of  God. 

At  Kazungula,  I  was  very  glad  to  see  our  dear  friends  the 
Louis  J  alias  again — dear  frietids  in  reality  !  The  Sunday,  the 
first  we  have  spent  together,  was  a  sweet  and  blessed  one. 
At  our  little  private  service  in  the  afternoon,  we  consecrated 
their  baby  to  God  by  baptism.  On  my  arrival,  I  had  thought 
the  child  very  pale,  and  not  at  all  well.  Still,  the  parents  were 
not  seriously  uneasy  about  her.  The  next  day,  about  three 
in  the  afternoon,  they  called  me  in  great  haste,  and  I  arrived 
in  time  to  see  the  little  one's  life  pass  out  of  this  poor  world 
as  her  spirit  went  up  to  heaven.  It  was  a  sorrowful  privilege 
to  have  to  prepare  the  last  cradle  for  the  little  body.  The 
funeral  took  place  the  next  day  in  the  presence  of  two  or 
three  Europeans,  and  of  fifty  or  sixty  Zambesians.  I  spoke 
alternately  in  three  languages. 

The  calmness  and  resignation  of  our  poor  friends  are  beautiful 
to  see.  But  it  is  impossible  to  count  all  our  little  graves  without 
saying  the  Zambesi  climate  is  a  cruel  one. 

As  to  things  at  Sefula,  my  last  letter,  I  think,  left  you  under 
the  best  impressions.  Seeing  our  dear  pupils  so  eager  to  buy 
books,  you  might  have  thought  them  quite  near  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  imagined  that  we  had  nothing  but  success  in 
our  school.  Far  from  it.  Our  pupils  are  still  terribly  wild  ; 
they  cannot  bear  restraint  for  long.  Most  of  them  have  their 
own  slaves  and  villages.  At  home,  they  are  masters.  And 
it  frequently  happens  that,  on  the  slightest  pretext  or  none 
at  all,  they  go  off  borotsi  as  they  say  (that  is,  to  the  Valley), 
lo  enjoy  the  liberty  of  fishing  and  boating,  and  the  servile 
adulations  of  their  subordinates.  When  they  return  inosito 
(i.e.  to  the  woods,  where  we  live),  others  go  away ;  and  farewell 
to  progress. 

One  day,  Mokwae's  son,  Kaiba,  was  not  at  morning  prayers. 
Before  we  knew  of  it,  messengers  had  run  in  the  night  to 
Nalolo  to  tell  the  queen  that  her  son  was  unwell.  They 
returned    with    llic    order    to    bring    him    immediately    to    her, 


1890]  LITIA    THE    IIKIR-APPARENT  397 

The  next  day,  Mokwae  called  Litia  in  great  haste.  "  Kai'ba 
is  ill,"  she  said  to  him,  "  and  the  divining  bones  say  that  you 
must  go  and  sacrifice  at  the  tombs  of  our  ancestors."  "  Morena," 
replied  Litia  calmly,  "  I  am  no  longer  in  that  darkness,  and 
I  have  forsaken  those  ways.  I  no  longer  pray  to  the  dead." 
Mokwae  made  many  remonstrances,  and  argued  a  long  time  ; 
but  finding  she  gained  nothing,  she  said,  "  Very  well,  you 
need  not  go  in  person.  Some  one  will  pray  in  your  place,  only 
you  must  take  a  handful  of  grass  impregnated  with  '  medicine,' 
and  sprinkle  the  offerings."  "  But,  Morena,"  replied  Litia 
respectfully,  though  firmly,  "  I  cannot  even  do  that,  for  it  would 
be  the  same  as  if  I  went  myself  on  a  pilgrimage  to  the  tombs." 
Mokwae  had  to  yield  the  point ;  but,  deeply  offended,  she  for- 
bade him  to  sing  hymns  in  the  village. 

None  of  our  pupils  share  Litia's  scruples.  And  when  I 
tell  you  that  this  is  not  the  first  time  the  dear  boy  has  taken 
up  such  a  sturdy  attitude  towards  his  father  and  Mokwae, 
you  would  expect,  as  we  do,  to  see  him  soon  declare  himself 
for  the  Lord.  In  fact,  I  do  not  know  what  keeps  him  back, 
for  we  believe  that  the  grace  of  God  is  certainly  working  in 
his  heart.  He  has  long  since  given  up  a  number  of  heathen 
customs,  and  he  has  thrown  away  his  heathen  ornaments  and 
charms.  He  has  a  pronounced  taste  for  everything  connected 
with  civilisation.  As  his  father  can  refuse  him  nothing,  he 
is  always  dressed  like  a  European,  although  clothes  are  difficult 
to  procure  in  a  country  like  this,  without  shops.  He  is  clean 
in  his  person,  intelligent,  eager  for  instruction,  and  clever  at 
using  ordinary  tools.  He  has  built  himself  a  little  cottage — • 
of  course,  under  Mr.  VVaddell's  direction — roofed  it  himself, 
and  furnished  it  with  a  bed,  seats,  tables,  and  shelves,  all  rather 
primitive,  but  of  his  own  making.  This  little  room  is  always 
a  model  of  order  and  cleanliness  at  whatever  hour  one  may 
visit  it.  One  valuable  quality  for  the  position  he  may  one 
day  occupy  is  a  strength  of  will  not  at  all  common  in  a 
young  man.  It  sometimes  degenerates  into  obstinacy.  He 
exercises  great  power  over  those  around  him  ;  and  while  growing 
daily  in  popularity,  he  permits  nobody  to  be  familiar.  Though 
now  moral,  truthful,  and  honest,  he  has  not  always  been  so  ; 
and  when  his  conscience  awakens,  he  will  make  us  many 
confessions.      But   at   present   it   is   still   asleep.      Is   it   to   be 


39S  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1S90 

wondered  at  that,  with  these  inclinations,  and  being  almost  the 
same  age  as  Nguana-Ngombe  (eighteen  years),  he  has  formed 
an  intimate  friendship  with  him  ?  They  would  have  shared 
the  same  room,  and  taken  all  their  meals  together,  if  we  had 
not  imposed  some  restrictions  out  of  prudence.  I  have  said 
thus  much  about  this  young  fellow,  in  order  that  his  name  may 
have  a  special  place  in  your  prayers. 

Our  young  girls,  at  present  ten  in  number,  are  very  far 
from  giving  us  as  much  pleasure.  They  are  growing  up ;  and 
growing  up  unconverted,  they  are  the  more  difficult  to  manage. 
The  king's  eldest  daughter,  always  surrounded  by  slaves  and 
flattered  by  everybody,  thus  preserves  a  little  prestige  which 
often  contradicts  our  authority.  The  lack  of  straightforwardness, 
of  truthfulness,  and  of  common  honesty  in  these  children  calls  for 
much  vigilance  and  great  firmness ;  and  with  Mme.  Coillard's 
bad  health,  the  task  is  overwhelming. 

But  God  is  good.  We  have  to  repeat  it  at  every  step.  The 
arrival  of  M.  Adolphe  Jalla  at  Sefula  is  indeed  a  new  proof 
of  it.  We  very  much  appreciate  the  valuable  acquisition  which 
the  mission  has  made  in  this  young  brother.  The  Waldensian 
Church  has  already  large  interests  in  the  Barotsi  Mission,  and 
she  has  cause  to  rejoice  in  it.  These  are  powerful  ties,  added 
to  those  which  previously  united  us  to  her.  M.  Adolphe  Jalla 
has  come  to  us  already  possessed  of  a  good  vocabulary  of 
Sesuto,  and  has  never  yet  needed  an  interpreter.  Without 
losing  any  time,  and  also,  I  think,  without  consulting  his  own 
tastes,  he  has  buckled  on  his  harness,  and  set  to  work  with  me 
to  teach  ABC  (which  is  not  exactly  an  attractive  occupation) 
and  the  elements  of  arithmetic  and  geography — a  task  as 
ungrateful  here  as  it  was  interesting  in  Basuto-land.  You  see, 
ours  is  a  locksmith's  trade ;  and  if  we  succeed  in  putting  the 
key  of  knowledge  into  the  hands  of  the  generation  confided 
to  us,  we  shall  not  have  laboured  in  vain. 

The  more  we  learn  to  know  our  Barotsi,  the  more  difficult 
seems  our  task.  I  am  not  now  speaking  of  the  school,  which 
after  all  is  not  the  most  important  branch  of  it.  I  have  already 
spoken  to  you  about  their  marriage,  this  union  of  nothing  but 
caprice,  which  ill-temper  may  break  to-morrow.  Is  this  really 
the  ideal  which  theorists  of  both  sexes,  who  consider  themselves 
the   great    lights    of    the    nineteenth    century   and    the    great 


iSgo]  DEGRADING    CUSTOMS  399 

champions  of  humanity,  dare  to  propose  to  our  old  ultra-civih'scd 
and  ultra-Christianiscd  Europe  ?     What  progress  ! 

When  man's  highest  instincts  are  bkmted,  he  ceases  to  be 
a  man,  and  becomes  a  brute  of  the  worst  kind.  Infanticide 
sufficiently  proves  it.  The  cases  of  it  here  are  fearfully  common. 
The  life  of  a  little  being,  elsewhere  cherished,  is  not  of  much 
value — a  trifling  excuse  is  sufficient  to  sacrifice  it.  It  cries, 
worries  its  mother,  annoys  its  father,  is  perhaps  an  obstacle 
to  a  new  marriage.  It  need  not  matter  !  Its  mother  or  grand- 
mother stuffs  its  mouth  with  ashes,  digs  her  nails  into  its  throat, 
and  at  night  the  poor  little  corpse  is  thrown  out  on  to  the 
dunghill,  where  the  wild  beasts,  always  prowling  about,  under- 
take its  burial.  The  details  are  too  disgusting  to  be  described. 
And  what  is  most  heartrending — for  in  Europe  equally  horrible 
crimes  are  committed — is  that  all  this  is  done  publicly  with 
everybody's  knowledge.  Public  opinion  does  not  in  the  least 
deter  from  these  revolting  atrocities.  They  are  accepted,  and 
no  one  has  anything  to  say  against  them.  This  crime  must  be 
laid  at  the  door  of  slavery,  so  brutalising  and  degrading  is  it, 
petrifying  the  heart,  and  making  of  a  man  a  mere  chattel. 

But  nothing  is  more  tyrannical  than  the  customs.  At  their 
least  violation,  everybody  is  up  in  arms.  Each  one  believes 
himself  to  be  their  accredited  guardian.  Certain  Levitical  laws 
pertaining  to  woman  and  to  her  duties,  from  whatever  source 
they  may  be  derived,  are  strictly  observed  among  the  Barotsi. 
There  are  also  others  established  by  custom.  For  instance, 
a  child  must  never  be  born  in  its  father's  house.  The  husband 
makes  a  sort  of  kennel  for  his  wife  in  the  fields,  and  there  she 
must  stop  till  she  is  strong  enough  to  crawl  back  to  the 
village  with  her  infant.  In  case  of  an  abortion,  a  woman  is 
also  left  in  the  fields  under  a  miserable  shelter,  where  she  lives 
in  complete  isolation,  eating  the  meagre  fare  brought  to  her 
every  day.  She  is  thus  sequestrated  till  the  new  moon.  For 
the  same  reason,  her  husband  is  confined  to  the  court  of  his 
house ;  all  communication  with  his  neighbours  is  forbidden, 
and  all  visits  to  his  cattle-fold  or  fields.  They  fear  he  may 
exercise  some  evil  influence  over  men,  cattle,  and  things. 
Consequently,  the  whole  community  watches  to  see  that  the 
custom  is  rigorously  observed.  At  the  new  moon,  he  and  his 
wife  will  be   made  to  pass   through   certain  purifications,  and 


400  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

only  after  having  cleansed  themselves  in  the  river  will  they 
return  to  their  ordinary  course  of  life.  Karumba  found  him- 
self in  this  predicament  lately,  and  he  and  his  friend  Seajika 
conformed  punctiliously  to  the  rule  of  the  country.  During  a 
whole  month,  Karumba  remained  a  prisoner  in  his  own  house, 
without  his  friend,  who  passed  his  door  twenty  times  a  day, 
daring  even  to  greet  him. 

Nevertheless,  ideas  of  humanity,  justice,  and  goodness  are 
making  their  way.  I  have  already  told  you  of  Lewanika's 
efforts  to  crush  sorcery  and  the  crimes  it  engenders.  His 
sincerity  was  lately  put  to  a  severe  test.  While  he  was  away 
hunting,  one  of  his  most  faithful  servants,  busied  with  the  near 
return  of  his  master,  thought  of  the  thousand  and  one  details 
which  escaped  the  others.  His  companions,  jealous  of  the 
favour  he  enjoyed,  had  sworn  his  destruction.  An  opportunity 
was  found.  What  was  the  meaning  of  this  preoccupied  manner, 
these  comings  and  goings,  where  no  one  else  dared  even  to 
enter?  They  carried  their  accusations  to  old  Narubutu,  the 
preserver  of  ancient  customs.  After  the  fatal  administration  of 
poison  to  fowls,  the  old  man  declared  himself  to  be  perfectly 
convinced.  "  Hasten,  my  children,"  he  said,  "  and  execute 
justice  on  this  sorcerer  before  the  king's  return," — a  re- 
commendation very  welcome  to  such  people.  Monare,  the 
accused  servant,  was  warned  in  time  to  flee,  and  took  refuge 
with  us.  He  related  his  story,  we  received  him,  thoroughly 
determined  to  save  him. 

It  was  not  long  before  messenger  after  messenger  came, 
ordering  me  to  deliver  up  their  victim.  "I  shall  no  more  do  it," 
I  said,  "  than  I  shall  deliver  you  up  when  your  turn  comes,  if 
you  seek  refuge  with  me.  We  also  are  Natauioyos,  ministers  of 
mercy."  I  do  not  know  how  far  my  arguinent  prevailed,  but 
at  least  they  respected  my  authority  sufficiently  not  to  lay 
their  hands  upon  Monare,  who  stood  beside  me,  explaining 
his  conduct.  Days  passed,  and  the  king  returned  from  his 
hunting.  More  messages  and  commands  ;  more  refusals.  "  You 
asked  me  one  day,"  I  said  to  the  king,  "what  I  should  have 
done,  if  you  had  taken  refuge  with  me,  and  if  Mathaha  had 
ordered  me  to  deliver  you  up.  You  know  my  answer.  Monare's 
case  is  the  same." 

At  the  end  of  eight  days  of  parleying  and  protestations  from 


iSgo]  ABOLISHING    THE    SLAVE-TRADE  40I 

the  king,  who  swore  that  he  would  answer  for  Monare's  life, 
I  sent  him  under  Litia's  guard,  with  injunctions  to  let  him 
escape  again  at  the  least  sign  of  danger.  But  the  king  kept 
his  word.  He  confronted  Monare  publicly  with  his  accusers, 
unfolding  and  exposing  without  any  difficulty  the  jealousy  of 
those  who  had  once  more  failed  to  deprive  him  of  one  of  his 
best  servants.  He  rebuked  them  sharply,  publicly  congratu- 
lating himself  upon  the  fact  that  in  the  missionaries  he  had 
humane  men  who  backed  him  up  ;  then  addressing  himself  to 
Monare,  he  said,  "  You  will  go  to  your  village,  back  to  your 
children  ;  and  I  will  see  which  of  this  rabble  will  do  your  work 
and  take  your  place."     And  so  ended  this  incident. 

There  is  the  same  progress  with  regard  to  slavery.  Recently 
a  man  led  an  ox  to  his  chief  "  I  want  a  man,"  he  said.  "  Will 
you  get  me  one  ?  Here  is  the  price."  "  Why,  where  do  you 
come  from,"  answered  the  chief,  "  that  you  think  you  can  still 
buy  slaves  under  Lewanika  ?  " 

You  will  remember  that  already  last  year  some  Mambari 
(black  traders  from  Benguella  and  Bihe)  had  bought  a  certain 
number  of  slaves  in  exchange  for  powder,  beads,  and  stuff. 
Just  when  they  seemed  to  be  going,  Lewanika  had  them 
stopped,  took  away  their  slaves,  and  confiscated  part  of  their 
ivory.  He  even  thought  he  had  gone  too  far,  and  asked  my 
opinion.  You  can  easily  guess  it.  It  is  a  fact  to  be  noted, 
now  that  British  influence   is  going  to   penetrate  the  country. 

Our  poor  Lewanika  !  Why  does  he  stop  when  he  is  on 
such  a  good  road  ?  One  day,  when  he  was  with  us,  while  we 
were  singing  hymns,  each  choosing  one  in  turn,  I  asked  him  to 
choose  one  also.  "  One  ! "  he  said,  "  but  all  are  full  of  Jesus. 
Let  us  have  Motsualk  oa  Moraia  "  ("  The  Lord's  Friend  ").  This 
is  the  Sesuto  title  of  the  hymn  beginning  "  Litaba  tse  hu  imelang" 
a  translation  of  "  What  a  Friend  we  have  in  Jesus  ! " 

Sometimes  people  make  rather  a  curious  application  of 
religious  ideas.  You  can  be  present,  if  it  interests  you,  at  the 
purchase  of  an  ox.  A  little  time  ago,  a  man  brought  one  from 
a  distance  to  sell  me.  The  price,  already  fixed  by  custom,  was 
soon  decided,  and  the  bargain  was  about  to  be  concluded. 
"  But,"  remarked  one  of  our  men  incidentally,  "your  ox  limps." 
"  Yes,  indeed  it  does,"  said  the  vendor  ;  "  to  tell  the  truth,  it  has 
limped  ever  since  our  expedition  against  the  Mashukulumboe 

26 


402  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

It  got  better  for  a  time,  and  then  it  began  to  limp  again." 
"  Really  ?  "  I  said  in  my  turn.  "  Yes,  really."  "  But,  my  friend, 
I  cannot  buy  a  lame  ox." 

The  poor  man  saw  that  he  had  given  himself  away.  How- 
ever, not  the  least  disconcerted,  he  replied,  "  But  my  ox  is 
not  lame — look  !  "  "  But  have  you  not  just  said  before  us  all 
that  it  has  been  lame  ever  since  your  return  from  the  Mashuku- 
lumboe  country  ? "  "I?  Never!  You  are  mistaken.  My  ox 
has  never  been  lame."  The  animal  was  seized,  and  it  was 
proved  to  have  a  dislocated  shoulder.  No  matter  ;  my  man 
stuck  to  his  story  in  the  face  of  everybody — his  ox  had  never 
been  lame !  The  poor  fellow  stayed  three  days  to  convince 
me  that  it  did  not  limp  now. 

This  instance  of  audacity  in  lying  is  by  no  means  an  isolated 
case.  It  would  be  laughable,  if  it  were  not  so  profoundly  sad. 
"  Servant  of  God,"  said  this  individual,  appealing  to  my  feelings, 
"  do  not  break  the  bargain.  Jesus  would  never  do  that ;  He 
would  accept  my  ox.  Jesus  is  good  ;  He  would  not  send  me 
away  empty.  Servant  of  Jesus,  be  like  your  Master.  Jesus 
is  kind." 

Well,  we  must  not  refuse  sound  lessons,  even  from  cheats 
and  flatterers  ! 

Sefula,  October  "-pth,  1890. 

I  returned  home  on  September  i8th,  after  an  absence  of 
two  months  and  eight  days.  Though  it  was  an  unspeakable 
joy  to  return  to  my  own  fireside,  yet,  alas !  causes  of  sorrow 
were  not  lacking  either.  My  journey,  which  was  less  well 
organised  than  last  year,  was  less  successful  also  in  the  matter 
of  transporting  our  luggage  and  supplies.  The  canoes  which 
had  transported  Mr.  Lochner,  the  Chartered  Company's  agent, 
to  Kazungula  were  to  be  passed  on  to  my  service  for  returning. 
But  all  these  canoes  were  of  small  capacity  and  overladen  with 
paddlers  ;  so  that,  while  running  into  greater  expense  than  last 
year,  I  was  able  to  accomplish  much  less. 

Our  conveyances  are  falling  into  an  alarming  state  of  decay. 
Besides  my  old  family  waggon,  which  no  longer  exists,  we  had 
two  transport  waggons,  which  were  quite  new.  They  have 
been  seven  years  at  work,  and  now  they  are  both  in  ruins. 
And  yet  Mr.  Waddell,  with  his  wonderful  skill,  has  often  repaired 


i?9o]  COSTLY    DISArrOINTMENTS  403 

them,  and  set  them  up  again.  Poor  man  !  he  thought  he  had 
mended  the  one  which  had  collapsed  at  Loanja,  so  that  it  could 
go  one  last  journey,  at  least  as  far  as  Sefula.  But  at  the  very- 
first  motion,  even  before  stirring  from  its  place,  the  wheels 
fell  to  pieces.  The  naves  were  completely  rotten ;  they  were 
mere  touchwood. 

Besides  this,  there  is  also  the  matter  of  the  oxen.  I  told 
you  I  had  sent  to  Sesheke  two  teams  of  eighteen  oxen  each, 
for  the  service  between  Sesheke  and  Kazungula,  and  vice  versa, 
and  that  nearly  all  these  oxen  have  perished.  This  new 
disaster  eclipses  all  the  former  ones,  and  involves  me  personally 
more  deeply  than  any  one  else.  So  there  is  one  route  which  we 
must  perforce  consider  closed  for  a  long  while  to  come.  There 
remains  the  river  way.  It  is  a  last  resort,  which  does  not 
by  any  means  solve  the  difficulty,  because,  as  I  explained 
to  you,  we  are  entirely  dependent  upon  the  king  and  his 
caprices  for  canoes  ;  and  as  he  himself  confesses,  it  is  in  every 
way  to  his  interest  to  serve  the  traders  first  of  all,  who  bring 
him  merchandise  and  ammunition.  And  as  waggons  only 
arrive  at  the  Zambesi  during  one  season  of  the  year,  we  shall 
always  find  this  a  great  embarrassment.  I  say  nothing  of  the 
expenses,  of  which  you  yourselves  can  judge  by  the  accounts. 
But  I  cannot  keep  silent  about  the  dangers  of  the  navigation. 
Four  of  our  canoes  this  year  were  capsized  in  the  rapids.  The 
canoes  were  saved,  even  the  cases  were  fished  out,  some  of 
them  fifteen  days  after  the  accident.  You  cannot  form  any 
rdea  of  our  losses.  Thus,  a  big  bale  of  coloured  materials — 
our  small  cash  for  daily  use — which  my  canoe-men  had  "put 
in  the  sun  to  dry "  ( ! )  (without  unpacking  it,  of  course),  I 
found  three  weeks  later,  when  I  was  able  to  open  it,  in  such 
a  state  of  fermentation  and  decomposition  as  can  be  more  easily 
imagined  than  described.  The  same  with  cotton  blankets  and 
pieces  of  calico.  The  same,  alas  !  with  nearly  all  our  cases. 
Out  of  fifteen  which  reached  us,  some  of  which  we  had  been 
expecting  for  two  or  three  years,  not  three  were  intact.  All 
the  others,  either  opened  at  the  custom-house  or  badly 
soldered,  contained  heart-breaks  over  which  we  must  draw  a 
veil,  out  of  regard  for  our  friends.  And  yet  it  must  be  grasped 
thoroughly  that  the  transport  is  very  heavy.  From  the  Cape 
to  Kazungula,   it    costs    no    less    than    £l    5^.    per   cwt.      And 


404  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1890 

to  that  must  be  added  the  costs  of  freight,  custom-house,  and 
bonding-house,  of  duties,  and  of  agents  (which  last  are  no  trifle), 
and  then  the  cost  of  canoeing  from  Kazungula  to  the  Valley. 

One  case  did  reach  us  safely.  As  it  was  too  large  for  the 
canoes,  I  had  it  sent  after  us.  It  was  one  we  had  been 
expecting  from  friends  in  Holland  for  three  years  or  more  ; 
it  took  eight  men  to  carry  it,  and  the  transport  alone  cost  us 
£1^.  We  opened  it:  nothing  but  blotting-paper  and  blank 
cheque-books  down  to  the  very  bottom !  They  had  sent  us 
by  mistake  a  case  of  stationery  intended  for  a  Dutch  bank  in 
the  Transvaal.^ 

M.  Adolphe  Jalla  is  starting  for  Kazungula.  He  has  shown 
himself  a  most  valuable  helper,  and  has  taken  such  an  interest 
in  the  school  that  I  ask  myself  if  he  would  not  perhaps  be 
in  his  right  place  at  Sefula,  to  occupy  himself  specially  with 
the  teaching.  We  must  have  a  boarding  school  for  the  youths, 
and  in  our  thoughts  it  will  one  day  give  birth  to  an  Evangelists' 
College,  for  that  is  after  all  our  principal  object. 

We  have  decided  to  send  Litia  to  Morija.  He  will  start 
with  M.  Jalla,  accompanied  by  four  other  boys,  all  among  our 
best  scholars.  Lewanika  has  already  given  me  ^50  towards 
his  journey  and  maintenance.  His  own  ambition  for  him  is, 
that  Litia  should  go  to  England  and  see  civilised  life.  The 
immediate  consequence  of  Litia's  departure  for  Basuto-land 
is  the  disbanding  of  our  school.  We  expected  something 
of  this,  but  the  crisis  seems  more  serious  than  we  thought. 
This  departure  also  creates  difficulties  for  the  future  which 
we  did  expect,  and  which  we  can  only  avoid  by  founding  an 
establishment  for  young  men  without  delay. 

Our   political   horizon    is   of  the   darkest,  and   I   know  not 

'  M.  Coillard  wrote  to  the  bank  whom  it  concerned  to  tell  them  of  this 
mistake,  and  some  months  later  received  a  letter  of  polite  regret,  requesting 
him  to  burn  all  the  cheque-books  in  the  presence  of  witnesses,  after  noting 
their  numbers  in  a  duly  attested  declaration  that  they  had  been  destroyed  ; 
and  this  was  done.  The  blotting-paper  he  might  keep,  and  it  was  the  only 
compensation  ever  received  for  the  _;^I5  transport  expenses.  Similarly,  a 
chest  of  the  commonest  and  worst-made  boots  and  shoes  found  its  way 
to  Sefula,  having  been  redirected  thither  in  error  by  some  agent :  scarcely 
two  pairs  fitted  anybody  on  the  station.  As  for  Mme.  Jeanmairet's 
wedding  trousseau,  which  did  not  arrive  till  two  or  three  years  after  her 
marriage,  it  was  all  utterly  destroyed  in  the  river. 


iSgo]  IN    DISGRACE  405 

what  next  year  may  be  preparing  for  us.  We  are  accused 
of  having  deceived  the  king  and  sold  his  country,  so  that  we  are 
quite  in  disgrace.  I  feel  I  have  written  you  the  saddest  of  all 
my  letters  ;  I  am  sorry  for  it,  but  I  cannot  help  it.^ 

'  In  July  1890,  M.  Goy,  who  had  hitherto  been  at  Sefula,  returned  from 
a  visit  to  Basuto-land  with  his  newly  married  wife,  and  was  put  in  charge 
of  the  Sesheke  station,  vacated  by  the  Jeanmairets.  About  the  same  time, 
Mr.  Buckenham,  of  the  Primitive  Methodist  Mission,  brought  a  little  band  of 
pioneers  to  Barotsi-land,  hoping  for  permission  to  establish  a  work  among  the 
vassal  tribe  of  Mashukulumboe.  They  could  not  have  arrived  at  a  more  unpro- 
pitious  moment  for  their  own  success.  The  Barotsi,  angered  by  their  king's 
treaty  with  the  B.  S.  A.  Chartered  Company,  instantly  identified  the  English 
missionaries  with  the  foreigners,  whose  policy  they  dreaded  (without  under- 
standing it),  and  treated  them  with  every  indignity.  The  French  missionaries, 
hoping  to  shield  them,  took  their  part,  thereby  incurring  the  same  hostility ; 
and  hence  arose  serious  complications,  related  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER    XXV 

Dark  Days — Political  Calumnies — The  Floods — Narubutn  and  the  Con- 
servatives—Temporary Capital  at  Sana — A  Royal  Water-party — Easter 
Sunday — A  Visit  to  the  King  and  Queen — Revival  of  Thieving  in  the 
School — A  Sad  Story — A  Visit  from  the  Jallas — Levity  of  the  Zambesians 
— A  Hunting  Expedition — Death  of  the  Only  Horse — A  Clever  Thief 
and  his  Punishment — "  Alexander  the  Coppersmith  " — The  Primitive 
Methodist  Mission — "The  Terror  of  the  King." 

Sefula,  April  1891. 

AMONG  the  lukewarm  friends  of  missions,  I  have  sometimes 
heard  the  remark  that  missionaries'  letters  are  generally 
sunshiny  pictures  without  shadows  ;  which,  to  say  the  least 
of  it,  would  be  very  inartistic — very  little  in  harmony  with 
nature.  Though  I  protest  against  this  assertion,  which  is  only 
based  upon  ignorance,  or  else  upon  a  generalisation  of  isolated 
facts,  yet  it  is  a  tendency  I  can  very  well  understand,  if  it 
be  not  exaggerated.  Just  as  we  like  to  share  all  our  hopes 
and  joys  with  our  friends,  just  so  far  do  we  shrink  from 
saddening  them  with  gloomy  tales  of  anxieties,  disappointments, 
and  difficulties,  incessantly  renewed.  But  after  all,  our  true 
friends,  those  who  are  associated  heart  and  soul  with  our  labours, 
need  to  know  everything,  to  read  between  the  lines,  and  thus 
be  initiated  into  the  web  of  our  life — do  they  not  ?  For  them, 
as  for  ourselves,  the  evangelisation  of  the  heathen  world,  in 
the  place  where  it  is  carried  on,  is  certainly  not  a  tissue  of 
strange  customs  and  adventures  as  thrilling  as  a  romance  ; 
it  is  a  desperate  struggle  with  the  Prince  of  Darkness,  and 
with  everything  that  his  rage  can  stir  up  in  the  shape  of 
obstacles,  vexations,  opposition,  and  hatred,  whether  by  circum- 
stances or  by  the  hand  of  man.  It  is  a  serious  task.  Oh,  it 
should  mean  a  life  of  consecration  and  faith  ! 

Already  you  can  guess— can  you  not? — that  we  have  passed 

406 


iSgi]  POLITICAL   CALUMNIES  407 

through  some  particularly  trying  times.  Well,  yes !  When 
the  clouds  pile  themselves  up,  black  and  heavy  with  tempest, 
it  is  idle  to  tell  yourself  that  the  sun  is  always  shining  radiantly 
beyond,  in  the  depth  of  the  skies.  You  would  like  to  see  it  ; 
and  when  the  mist  thickens  round  you,  and  sends  an  icy  shiver 
into  your  very  heart,  would  you  not  prefer  to  close  your  lips, 
bury  yourself  in  the  folds  of  your  mantle,  and  pursue  your  way 
in  silence  until  the  sky  clears  again  ?  But  no  ;  I  must  overcome 
that  and  speak. 

To  begin  with,  we  have  run  the  risk  (and,  for  all  I  know, 
may  yet  be  running  it)  of  embroiling  all  our  relationships  with 
this  man  for  whom  I  have  conceived  so  great  an  affection,  but 
who,  alas  !  as  king  is  so  deplorably  incapable.  He  is  a  weather- 
cock, changing  with  every  wind,  soft  wax  that  receives  every 
impression,  hopelessly  at  the  mercy  of  the  most  contrary  influ- 
ences. Poor  Lewanika !  You  know  the  concession  he  made 
to  the  B.  S.  A.  Chartered  Company.  Well,  intriguing  men, 
some  of  them  Europeans,  animated  by  motives  which  I  need 
not  qualify,  left  no  stone  unturned  to  excite  the  king's  sus- 
picious nature,  and  stir  up  his  anger  ;  they  have  represented 
his  transactions  with  the  Company  in  the  falsest  light,  accusing 
us  ourselves  of  having  designedly  deceived  him,  and  of  having 
sold  our  services  and  our  influence  to  the  Company — we,  who 
have  not  even  received  a  single  penny  for  all  the  provisions  wc 
had  to  procure  for  its  agent  and  his  followers  for  their  return 
journey  when  they  left.  As  for  our  hospitality  during  the 
two  months  he  was  our  guest,  of  course  there  could  be  no 
question  of  payment  for  that.  These  calumnies  and  others 
no  less  absurd  have  completely  upset  the  king.  In  the  old 
days — six  or  seven  years  ago — they  would  have  compromised 
everything  :  our  property,  our  lives,  our  mission. 

Thus  we  have  been  scratched  in  the  thorny  field  of  politics, 
which  is  certainly  not  ours.  We  have  fallen  into  a  hornets' 
nest.  We  do  not  yet  know  the  final  turn  affairs  may  take. 
What  we  do  know  is,  that  "  the  Lord  reigneth,"  and  that  He 
can  just  as  easily  turn  the  malice  of  the  wicked  as  the  mistakes 
of  men,  all  events  and  all  circumstances,  to  the  accomplishment 
of  His  eternal  designs. 

The  season  this  year  has  been  exceptionally  rainy — a 
dismal  season  for  us  in  one  sense.     Everything  is  impregnated 


408  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

with  that  warm  moisture  which  is  only  known  in  the  tropics. 
Our  foot-gear,  our  books,  even  those  we  use  daily,  are  all  covered 
with  mildew.  As  to  the  eatables,  we  won't  speak  of  them. 
At  no  season  will  anything  keep  at  the  Zambesi,  except  in 
hermetically  sealed  canisters.  And  when  necessity  obliges  one 
to  open  any  of  these  canisters,  if  the  contents  are  not  to  be  lost, 
they  must  be  finished  up  at  once.  Meat,  which  with  us  is  so 
scarce  and  difficult  to  procure,  will  only  keep  two  days ;  on  the 
third  it  is  already  tainted,  and  disgusts  one. 

For  two  successive  years  now,  Lewanika  has  chosen  a  site 
for  his  temporary  capital,  but  for  lack  of  water  the  canoes  could 
not  land  there.  This  is  the  third  time.  Will  it  be  the  same  ? 
No  one  can  understand  it."  The  divining  bones  were  earnestly 
consulted,  and  the  oracle  was  heard.  The  gods,  above  all  the 
formidable  Katuramoa,  were  wroth  at  Lewanika's  unheard-of 
innovation.  What  was  he  going  after  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
these  white  men,  when  "  the  traditions  of  antiquity  had  devoted 
quite  another  part  of  the  country  to  the  king's  residence  "  ? 

Thus  were  the  gods  made  to  speak  by  the  conservative 
party,  and  it  is  influential  :  old  Narubutu  worthily  represents 
it.  Lewanika,  who  wanted  to  keep  the  thing  secret,  was 
surprised  and  mortified  when  I  spoke  to  him  about  it.  He 
had  decided  not  to  put  himself  in  the  wrong  with  the  manes 
of  his  ancestors,  but  to  conform  to  tradition  :  consequently, 
he  was  quietly  making  his  preparations.  But  after  a  serious 
conversation  I  had  with  him  in  January,  he  let  himself  be 
shaken.  He  held  a  council ;  and,  strange  to  say,  the  chiefs 
also  yielded,  and  they  resolved  to  make  a  last  attempt  this 
year,  and  install  the  temporary  capital  at  Sana,  in  our  neighbour- 
hood. The  work  was  vigorously  pushed  on,  and  two  miles 
from  us,  as  the  crow  flies,  a  village  is  now  rising  from  an  islet, 
an  exact  reproduction  of  Lealuyi,  only  on  a  more  modest 
scale.  The  plan  is  the  same,  and  so  are  the  arrangements  of 
the  king's  private  establishment,  his  harem,  his  kitchens,  his 
various  offices,  the  khot/ila,  and  the  various  quarters  of  the  town  ; 
there  is  the  same  labyrinth  of  concentric  alleys  and  narrow 
passages.  So  there  is  an  old  desire  accomplished,  after  ardent 
prayers  which  God  has  deigned  to  grant.  Yes,  but  how  about 
the  flood  ?  It  is  late  ;  the  prognosticators  are  already  swearing 
that  there  will   not   be   one.     In    vain    messengers    have   been 


">> 


iSgj]  A    WATi^R-rARTY  409 

sent,  one  after  another,  to  the  upper  country— no  use ! 
Decidedly,  we  are  not  popular  in  the  spirit-world,  and 
Katuramoa  has  a  grudge  against  us ! 

But  lo  and  behold  !  one  fine  day  a  note  from  the  king 
announces,  as  great  and  good  tidings,  that  the  flood,  which  has 
come  a  little  suddenly,  is  already  sufficient  to  bear  the  mon- 
strous royal  barge,  and  that  at  last  he  is  coming  to  Sana. 
Soon  afterwards,  a  canoe  arrives  with  a  pleasant  message  to 
go  and  meet  him  at  Sebembi. 

Life  at  the  Zambesi  is  monotonous — no  recreation,  or  very 
little  ;  so  this  was  too  good  an  occasion  not  to  unbend  a  little. 
We  were  soon  in  canoes — Mme.  Coillard,  Mile.  Kicner,  Mr. 
Waddell,  Andreas,  the  girls,  the  boys,  all  our  pupils  big  and 
little ;  and  for  the  first  time  we  had  the  joy  of  gliding  on  the 
waters  of  our  canal.  We  were  the  first  at  the  rendezvous. 
We  could  hear  the  low  rumbling  of  the  war-drums,  but  it  was 
distant.  And  to  keep  ourselves  from  looking  at  the  sun,  which 
was  going  down,  and  the  clouds,  which  were  mounting  up, 
the  ladies  visited  the  huts,  and  we  talked  to  the  men  grouped 
about  the  public  square  ;  then  we  all  sang  hymns  together. 
That  is  our  bell  in  the  villages,  but  a  very  cracked  bell,  I  can 
assure  you.  Then  we  spoke  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  these  poor 
creatures.  During  this  time,  the  drums  had  drawn  nearer. 
In  a  moment,  we  were  on  our  feet,  grouped  upon  the  edge 
of  the  water,  and  gazing  into  the  immensity  of  the  submerged 
plain.  "  There  they  are !  there  they  are ! "  and  many  voices 
took  up  the  cry.  In  truth,  a  black  mass  was  appearing  on 
the  horizon,  growing  visibly  greater  and  broader,  breaking  up 
and  taking  on  the  appearance  of  a  forest  floating  on  a  lake. 
The  women,  congregated  on  one  side,  uttered  their  customary 
piercing  cries,  while  among  the  groups  of  men  and  youths 
remarks  full  of  curiosity  flew  about  like  sparks.  "  What !  two 
Nalikuandas?  Just  look  !  When  was  the  second  one  born  ?  " 
And  it  was  true. 

The  Barotsi  had  as  usual  patched  up  and  restored  the  great 
official  barge,  but  Lewanika  took  it  into  his  head  to  do  some- 
thing better.  Shutting  himself  up  with  some  selected  workmen 
in  an  enclosure  forbidden  to  the  public,  he  set  to  work.  The 
bottom  and  sides  of  canoes,  taken  to  pieces,  furnished  him 
with    planks.     Then  dovetailing   Ihem  together,   and  adjusting 


4IO  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

them  very  skilfully,  he  caulked  them  with  the  caoutchouc 
of  the  country,  made  a  double  bottom,  put  up  a  pavilion 
decorated  with  rcd-and-white  stuff,  and  amid  the  wondering 
gaze  of  his  people  he  launched  his  own  Nalikuanda.  You  can 
guess  how  they  admired  it.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  some 
poet  had  already  sung  it.  Being  longer  and  narrower  than 
the  official  barge,  it  is  also  much  lighter,  and  does  Lewanika 
credit.  After  tacking  about  for  a  long  time  in  the  open,  the 
two  wonders  of  our  Barotsi  navy  arrived,  escorted  by  the  canoes 
of  the  princesses  (distinguished  by  their  tents  of  matting),  by 
those  of  the  councillors,  chiefs,  and  favourite  attendants  of  the 
king,  and  by  a  multitude  of  slaves — altogether  several  hundreds 
of  canoes,  bristling  with  paddlers,  and  spread  over  the  plain 
like  an  immense  army  of  ants  on  the  war-path.  It  was  a  novel 
and  interesting  sight  to  us. 

But  the  sun  had  reached  the  horizon.  We  exchanged  a 
hand-clasp  and  a  few  words  with  Lewanika,  who  was  surprised 
and  quite  delighted  to  see  the  ladies  ;  we  went  a  little  bit  of 
the  way  together ;  and  then,  while  he  was  betaking  himself  to 
his  new  quarters,  we  returned  by  our  canal.  As  we  approached 
the  station,  the  current  became  stronger  and  the  water  shallower  ; 
we  advanced  but  slowly.  The  clouds,  which  had  gathered  black 
and  dark,  burst  over  us  ;  it  was  a  waterspout.  All  who  could, 
escaped  on  foot.  We  remained  alone  with  our  little  crew. 
Wrapped  up  in  mackintoshes  as  stiff  as  cardboard,  which  had 
split  to  rags  before  ever  being  used,  we  endured  this  deluge 
with  the  best  grace  we  could,  while  our  men  pulled  and  pushed 
the  canoe  very  good-tcmpcredly.  In  spite  of  this  adventure,  we 
did  not  regret  the  day,  once  we  were  safe  at  home. 

A  problem  which  propounds  itself  and  causes  me  great 
embarrassment  is  that  of  reconciling  the  demands  of  teaching 
with  the  urgent  need  for  evangelisation.  We  cannot  perform 
the  one  duty  conscientiously  except  at  the  expense  of  the 
other.  It  pains  me  to  think  that  our  sphere  of  activity  is  so 
limited,  when  we  have  the  whole  nation  before  us  as  our 
undisputed  field.  The  shortest  walk  in  these  torrid  climes  in 
the  sands  and  the  swamps  exhausts  me,  and  makes  me  dread 
the  exertion.  Besides,  these  walks  cannot  radiate  very  far :  so 
how  can  the  distant  villages  be  reached  ?  The  temporary 
removal  of  the  capital  to  our  neighbourhood,  with  the   great 


iSgi]  THE    CAPITAL    AT    SANA  4II 

movement  it  necessarily  creates,  imposes  on  me  new  duties, 
which  must  not  be  neglected,  for  it  offers  us  precious  and  unique 
opportunities,  which  we  must  turn  to  account.  This  was  the 
lesson  read  me  by  the  king  the  other  day  with  a  touch  of 
ill-humour  :  "  I  shall  take  good  care  not  to  make  the  people 
go  to  Sefula.  It  is  for  all  of  you  to  reach  them.  I  am  tired  of 
telling  them  to  send  their  children  to  the  school,  and  they  are 
angry  with  me  about  it.  I  have  brought  thee  the  heart  of  the 
nation.     Now  the  business  is  thine,  not  mine." 

Is  it  not  strange  that  just  at  this  moment,  when  the  work 
demands  new  efforts  and  we  would  need  to  multiply  ourselves,  I 
find  myself  alone  to  meet  it  ?  And  to  crown  these  complications, 
I  have  just  lost  my  horse,  that  faithful  servant  I  owed  to  the 
generosity  of  a  friend,  whom  I  have  often  blessed  without 
knowing  him.  So  I  have  nothing  left  but  my  legs,  which  are 
not  very  young.  But  "  no  man  goeth  to  war  at  his  own 
charges."  V/e  have  the  right  to  count  upon  the  Master  Who 
has  sent  us. 

Allow  me  to  invite  you  to  spend  Easter  Sunday  with  us. 
and  you  will  get  some  idea  of  how  far  our  experiences  can  be 
called  encouraging.  It  was  the  first  Sunday  Lewanika  spent 
at  his  new  capital.  We  were  counting  on  him  and  on  a  great 
influx  :  perhaps  it  would  even  be  impossible  for  us  to  have 
the  service  in  the  church.  The  sky  was  grey,  but  there  was 
no  rain — a  fairly  good  sign.  At  dawn,  in  accordance  with  our 
usual  habits,  the  bell  announced  the  Day  of  Rest.  At  half-past 
nine  and  at  ten  o'clock,  it  once  more  rang  to  assemble  our 
audience.  Except  for  our  pupils,  not  a  soul  responded.  Some 
men  and  two  or  three  women  came  in  late.  But  the  Lord  was 
with  us,  and  the  service  was  remarkably  serious  and  interesting. 
Then  I  put  on  my  thick  boots,  and  we  all  set  off  for  the 
capital,  excepting  of  course  the  ladies.  The  king,  friendly  and 
chatty  as  he  always  is,  pleaded  a  slight  indisposition,  and  I 
found  it  impossible  to  persuade  him  to  come  to  the  service. 
1  imagined  that  he  had  perhaps  to  go  through  certain  puri- 
fications before  he  could  show  himself  in  the  khotlda  of  his 
new  village.  I  put  the  question  directly  to  him,  and  he 
laughed. 

At  his  request,  I  pointed  him  out  the  portion  of  Scripture  I 
was  going  to  read  and  explain,  and  betook  myself  to  the  public 


412  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OP^    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

square.  The  handbell  had  gone  the  round  of  the  village,  and 
had  ceased  ringing  ;  the  public  crier  was  heard  no  more,  and 
still  I  had  only  a  handful  of  men  before  me.  Of  course  there 
were  no  women,  since  the  king's  were  not  there,  and  the  latter 
would  not  have  dared  to  appear  without  his  orders.  On  every 
side  work  was  going  on  ;  they  were  building,  dressing  hides, 
and  repairing  canoes.  No  one  troubled  about  the  meeting.  We 
had  recourse  to  our  last  bell ;  we  set  to  work  to  sing,  and  sang 
a  long  time.  Some  men  sauntered  slowly  up,  one  by  one  :  I 
counted  them  ;  and  when  I  began  to  preach,  I  may  have  had  an 
audience  of  sixty.  I  reached  home  late,  weary  and  discouraged. 
But,  in  the  evening,  we  had  a  blessed  meditation  together,  and 
took  the  Communion.  For  us,  it  was  indeed  the  repast  which 
the  Risen  Saviour  Himself  prepared  for  the  sad  and  worn-out 
disciples  who  had  "  toiled  all  night  and  taken  nothing." 

Since  then,  we  have  been  in  a  waggon  with  our  ladies  to 
spend  a  day  at  the  capital.  This  brought  us  in  return  a 
succession  of  visits — long  visits,  lasting  three-quarters  of  the 
day.  First  of  all,  there  were  the  king's  wives  ;  then  those  of 
the  Gambella  and  the  other  chiefs.  The  king  himself  is  entirely 
taken  up  with  antelope  hunting  ;  but  his  messengers  do  not 
let  the  grass  grow  on  the  path  between  Sana  and  Sefula.  We 
deeply  feel  our  responsibility  during  the  three  months  that  lie 
before  us.  For  three  years,  this  has  been  the  subject  of  earnest 
prayers.  Many  of  our  friends,  too,  have  united  with  us  in 
asking  the  Lord  for  Lewanika's  conversion  :  we  are  looking  for 
it ;  we  expect  it.  As  he  said  to  me  himself  the  day  before 
yesterday,  he  knows  the  truth,  he  loves  the  things  of  God,  but 
Satan  and  the  world  are  contesting  him  with  us.  It  is  difficult 
for  a  ricJi  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  school!  It  suffered  a  violent  shock  from  Litia's  depar- 
ture for  Basuto-land.  This  dear  boy  exerted  a  much  greater 
influence  than  I  imagined.  All  those  slaves  who  attended  it 
with  him  have  now  forsaken  it.  Our  young  men's  village, 
having  now  no  recognised  authority  which  can  be  exercised 
out  of  school  hours,  has  become  once  more  what  it  was 
formerly — a  den  of  brigands.  It  is  not  so  much  the  pupils 
themselves  as  their  slaves.  There  has  been  a  tremendous 
revival  of  thieving — a  perfect  eruption.  I  had  taken  a  great 
deal  of  trouble  to  sow  a  field  ;  we  have  had  no  crop — maize. 


iSgi]  A    SAD    STORY  413 

pumpkins,  beans,  sugarcanes,  everything  has  been  stolen,  even 
a  fence  I  had  undertaken,  of  which  the  last  post  will  soon 
have  disappeared.  My  minimum  and  maximum  thermometers 
have  gone  the  way  of  my  two  aneroids,  and  are  of  no  use  to 
the  thieves. 

Even  at  school,  there  is  always  a  leaven  of  insubordination. 
The  scholars  know  we  have  no  authority  over  them,  and  that, 
however  ill  they  behave,  no  one,  either  the  king  or  their 
parents,  will  have  a  rebuke  for  them.  Moreover,  discipline  is 
a  delicate  and  difficult  matter.  But,  on  the  whole,  our  school 
is  always  the  one  bright  spot  in  the  work  of  Scfula.  Our 
pupils  are  making  progress,  and  the  task  of  teaching  them 
has  been  a  serious  one.  Oh,  if  the  Spirit  of  God  would  but 
work  among  them,  and  bring  about  true  conversions,  what  a 
change  there  would  be !  Until  the  time  of  blessing,  may  God 
continue  to  give  us  grace  and  patience !  We  are  ready  for 
anything  rather  than  to  have  no  school, — ready,  if  needs  be, 
to  sow  nothing  more  in  our  field,  so  often  plundered  ;  not  to 
complain,  if  we  are  robbed.  .  .  .  We  must  suffer  in  silence,  until 
better  days.  They  will  dawn  at  the  Zambesi  as  in  Basuto- 
land,  and  then  our  trials  and  vexations  will  be  a  subject  of 
astonishment  to  our  successors,  and  an  irrefutable  proof  of  the 
influence  of  the  Gospel. 

My  pictures  to-day  are  not  lacking  in  shadows,  alas !  And 
yet  another  must  be  added,  the  darkest,  the  blackest  of 
all.  I  do  it  with  shame  and  sorrow ;  but  do  it  I  must,  if 
I  would  be  truthful,  and  give  you  even  a  glimpse  into  the 
nature  of  some  of  our  difficulties.  You  will  remember  that, 
besides  Lewanika's  daughters,  we  had  three  other  girls,  on 
whom  we  had  centred  much  affection  and  many  hopes.  Illu- 
sive and  deceptive  dreams  !  Of  these  three,  two  had  to  be 
summarily  turned  out  of  our  house.  They  used  to  get  over 
the  enclosure  of  the  court  at  night,  and,  in  accordance  with 
the  morals  of  the  country,  gave  themselves  up  to  the  disorder 
of  the  village,  and,  evading  our  vigilance,  made  appoint- 
ments with  their  accomplices  in  the  woods  in  broad  daylight. 
You  can  guess  the  rest.  It  is  quickly  told  ;  but  what  is 
not  told,  and  cannot  be,  is  the  suffering,  the  moral  torture, 
we  have  passed  through,  especially  my  poor  wife.  It  was 
during   my   last  journey  to  Scshcke  that  she   began  to   make 


414  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

these  overwhelming  discoveries.  Her  distress,  her  bitter  tears, 
added  to  the  great  weakness  of  her  condition,  almost  killed  her. 
We  had  often  shuddered  at  the  contact  with  the  appalling 
corruption  that  reigns  around  us  and  poisons  our  atmosphere, 
but  we  did  not  as  yet  completely  realise  that  we  were  living 
in  the  midst  of  Sodom.  The  notion  of  sin  does  not  as  yet 
exist.  Young  and  old  glory  in  their  shame  ;  there  is  no  sense 
of  it.  Should  a  young  girl  fall,  she  is  no  way  disgraced  ;  public 
opinion  fastens  no  stigma  upon  her  ;  and  her  masters,  if  she 
has  any,  have  a  slave  the  more.  Forgive  me  for  putting  things 
so  crudely.  But  it  is  well  you  should  know  that,  when  we 
speak  in  veiled  words  of  corruption,  it  is  an  abyss  that  we  are 
hiding  out  of  deference  to  you  and  out  of  modesty.  These 
are  not  commonplaces,  a  conventional  way  of  speaking?  No 
indeed,  dear  friends.  They  are  appalling  realities,  which 
haunt  us,  so  that  the  hours  of  darkness  bring  nothing  but 
sleeplessness  or  nightmares.  To  work  here  without  losing 
courage,  and  to  keep  alive  the  smoking  flax  of  faith,  one  must 
believe,  and  believe  firmly,  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ  is  truly 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  upon  all  that  believe.  Whoever 
doubts  it  would  lose  his  way,  coming  to  the  Zambesi,  unless 
God  had  mercy  on  him  and  unsealed  his  eyes. 

Our  poor,  poor  children  !  So  much  for  the  result  of  three 
years'  toil !  We  would  fain  believe  that  the  tears  of  our  poor 
Nyama  were  to  some  extent  sincere  ;  and  that  though  she  had 
to  leave  our  house  in  disgrace,  the  good  seed  so  lovingly  sown 
in  her  heart  will  some  day  spring  up,  and  that  she  will  one 
day  become  a  steady,  sober  woman  and  an  earnest  Christian. 
The  other,  Namusi,  pained  us  even  more  by  her  hardness,  her 
insolence  and  duplicity,  than  by  her  fall.  On  her  return  to 
Lealuyi,  the  king  wished  to  make  an  example.  He  put  her 
in  prison,  took  away  all  her  European  clothes  (her  wardrobe 
was  well  garnished,  and  she  v/as  very  proud  of  it,  poor  girl  !  ), 
and  distributed  them  to  the  first-comers.  Imagine  the  effect 
upon  us  the  other  day,  when  we  went  with  the  ladies  to  the 
capital,  at  seeing  grown-up  young  men  dressed  up  in  the 
unfortunate  girl's  nightdresses,  and  in  setsibas  made  out  of  her 
skirts.  In  the  bitterness  of  my  grief,  I  would  myself  have 
cleared  the  house  of  the  last  of  our  girls.  But  my  wife  was 
of  another   mind — one    more    in    harmony    with    that   of    the 


1891]  THE    JALLAS'    VISIT  415 

Friend  of  sinners.  She  received  three  fresh  h'ttlc  girls  from 
Lcvvanika  ;  and — we  arc  going  to  begin  again. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  terrible  trouble  that  Mile.  Kiener 
came  to  us  like  an  angel  sent  by  God.  The  shock  was 
terrible  to  her,  and  her  vocation  had  to  stand  a  severe  test  at 
the  beginning.  A  real  daughter  for  us  in  the  house,  a  tender 
and  devoted  friend  for  my  wife,  an  active  and  capable  help  in 
the  school,  she  has  already  been  a  great  blessing  ;  and  in  our 
hearts,  as  in  our  lives,  she  is  making  a  larger  place  for  herself 
every  day. 

It  was  in  these  circumstances,  too,  that  our  friend  Adolphe 
Jalla  left  us  for  his  long  journey  to  the  south,  whither 
he  is  going  to  meet  his  fiancee  ;  and  the  tempest  had  far 
from  subsided  when  our  dear  friends  from  Kazungula  arrived, 
M,  and  Mme.  Louis  Jalla.  Our  heavenly  Father  had  pre- 
pared this  balm  for  our  sore  hearts.  This  was  the  very 
first  visit  from  friends  that  we  have  received  at  Sefula.  To 
say  that  we  enjoyed  their  visits  sounds  commonplace,  and  yet 
it  is  true.  They  were  indeed  a  blessing  to  us.  We  could 
talk  and  pray  together.  M.  Jalla  was  no  idle  visitor.  As 
a  member  of  the  Barotsi  missionary  family,  he  fully  entered  into 
the  work  at  Sefula,  equally  with  his  dear  wife.  He  preached, 
he  taught  and  directed  the  school,  as  he  would  have  done  at 
home,  while  a  slight  illness  confined  me  to  the  house.  I  will 
not  enter  into  details.  Their  passage  here  has  left  a  wake 
of  brightness,  like  the  ships  which  in  the  tropics  furrow  the 
phosphorescent  waves.  I  am  glad  the  people  know  them,  and 
I  am  sure  they  like  them.^  What  a  comfort  it  would  be  to 
know  that  the   great    village   of   Mambova   had   at   last   been 

'  M.  L.  Jalla  writes  of  this  visit :  "  On  December  i8th,  we  arrived  at  Sefula. 
The  station  had  a  festival  air.  We  could  scarcely  recognise  Mile.  Kiener, 
the  fever  had  so  transformed  her  already.  What  beautiful  trees  there  are  at 
Sefula !  We  counted  more  than  twenty  in  the  inner  court  alone.  The 
station  is  quite  a  little  world,  where  it  seems  to  me  the  feeling  of  solitude,  so 
frequent  with  us,  ought  to  be  entirely  unknown.  We  spent  a  wliole  month 
of  rest  and  intimate  enjoyment  at  Sefula,  installed  in  the  pretty  little  house 
Litia  had  once  occupied.  Sometimes  we  went  out  all  together  to  make  a 
little  tour  in  the  wide  garden  of  Sefula,  admiring  the  immense  avenue  of 
bananas  planted  by  M.  Coillard.  Everything  here  is  on  a  large  scale, 
except  perhaps  the  crops.  One  traces  everywhere  the  skilful  hand  of 
Mr.  Waddell.     I  specially  admired  the  chapel,  which  is  a  masterpiece,  given 


4l6  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1891 

transferred  to  Kazungula !  We  are  counting  on  it  Lewanika 
has  been  sending  one  order  after  another  for  two  years  ;  but 
he  has  not  the  power  of  making  himself  obeyed.  And  yet  it 
is  a  position  of  indisputable  importance  for  the  nation,  seeing 
it  is  the  gate  of  the  country.  Besides  this,  great  changes  will 
take  place  in  this  part  of  the  country,  if,  as  I  believe,  the 
queen,  Mokwae,  finally  selects  Sesheke  for  her  residence. 

I  am  sorry  to  close  this  letter  without  being  able  to  point 
to  the  slightest  symptom  of  an  awakening  of  conscience  around 
us.  We  are  still  breaking  up  the  ground.  And  what  a  business! 
We  may  plough  and  we  may  sow,  but  the  seed  remains  buried 
under  the  clods,  and  choked  among  the  briers  of  a  frightful 
paganism.  It  would  be  enough  to  make  us  lose  courage,  if 
we  did  not  know  that  it  is  precisely  under  the  ground  in  secret 
and  in  silence  that  the  seed  sprouts. 

What  strikes  us  and  distresses  us  in  our  dear  Zambesians 
is  their  incredible  levity.  They  laugh  and  scoff  at  everything 
and  everybody.  They  have  none  of  that  decorum,  that  grave 
and  respectful  politeness,  which  constitutes  the  charm  of  social 
intercourse  among  the  Bechuana  in  general  and  the  Basuto 
in  particular.  I  consider  those  young  people  fortunate  who 
come  out  directly  from  Europe  to  the  Barotsi,  without  having 
made  acquaintance  with  other  tribes.  They  are  spared  many 
bitter  disappointments. 

The  Basuto,  like  the  Athenians,  are  all,  and  always,  on  the 
scent  of  anything  new.  "  Taba  ke  life  ?  "  ("  What  is  the  news  ?  ") 
is  the  invariable  salutation  of  two  strangers  meeting  one  another. 
Here  people  flee  and  hide  from  one  another,  if  they  can  ;  the 
stronger  insults  and  robs  the  weaker.  You  may  come  from 
the  ends  of  the  earth :  what  does  it  matter  to  them  what  is  said 

the  conditions  of  the  country.  It  is  almost  always  filled.  I  was  happy 
to  employ  a  good  part  of  my  time  at  the  school.  Mile.  Kiener  is  fighting  her 
first  battles  there,  and  I  was  sometimes  surprised  to  see  those  great  boys, 
naturally  so  turbulent,  obeying  her  words,  uttered  as  they  were  in  a  quiet  yet 
firm  little  voice.  After  Mr.  Waddell,  Nguana-Ngombe  is  M.  Coillard's 
right  hand.  "What  an  invaluable  boy!  and  at  the  same  time  so  unselfish. 
Above  all,  it  is  thanks  to  him  that  it  has  been  possible  to  achieve  the  great 
work  of  a  canal  joining  the  Sefula  River  to  the  Zambesi,  and  permitting 
canoes  to  come  within  five  minutes  of  the  station.  But  what  is  specially 
encouraging  with  Andreas  is  his  earnestness,  his  faithfulness  to  the  Lord, 
in  spite  of  the  many  snares  laid  for  him  on  every  side." 


iSgi]  "LE    ROI    S'AMUSE"  417 

and  done  over  there  ?  Lcwanika  is,  as  far  as  I  know,  the  only 
one — without  exception — who  puts  such  questions  to  you.  Here, 
to  Hve  is  Hterally  to  amuse  oneself.  All  is  frivolity  ;  there  is 
nothing  serious  in  life — nothing.  You  enquire  after  somebody's 
health.  People  laugh  in  your  face  ;  they  look  at  one  another, 
and  ask  what  you  mean.  You  should  go  more  directly  to  the 
point,  and  ask  if  this  somebody  is  amusing  himself,  and  they 
will  instantly  and  emphatically  answer  you,  "  O  nts'a  bapala 
haiitle  "  ("  Yes,  he  is  amusing  himself  thoroughly  ").  Should 
you  meet  some  one  from  the  capital,  and  ask  what  is  the  news, 
unless  the  king  be  laid  up,  the  invariable  reply  is,  '■'■  Le  rol 
s' amuse  "  ;  "  Morena  oa  bapala  merdpa  e  ?itse  e  tela  "  {"  The  king 
is  amusing  himself,  and  the  drums  are  still  beating  "). 

Unhappily,  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  life  share  this 
evil  influence.  The  Zambesians  have  few  sources  of  joy,  and 
the  trials  which  elsewhere  stir  the  depths  of  the  soul,  here  do 
scarcely  more  than  brush  over  the  surface  of  empty  hearts. 
Theft,  lying,  murder,  atrocities  and  corruptions  under  their  most 
revolting  forms,  do  not  seem  to  astonish  anybody.  People  are 
amusing  themselves — that  is  their  way  of  doing  it.  A  father, 
whose  daughter,  placed  in  a  missionary's  house,  is  already 
destined  for  a  young  chiefs  harem,  recommended  our  brother 
not  to  look  after  her  too  much,  but  to  shut  his  eyes  a  little  to 
the  girl's  relationships  with  the  boys  of  the  establishment.  He 
said,  in  language  which  cannot  be  translated  into  plain  English, 
"  Let  them  amuse  themselves."  At  our  age,  there  is  something 
absurd  in  being  gravely  greeted  with,  "  Salang !  le  bapale 
Jiantle  !  "  ("  Rest  in  peace  and  amuse  yourself  well  ").  But  some- 
times the  absurdity  wrings  tears  from  one's  eyes,  as  when  one 
day  a  man  came  from  Sesheke,  bringing  us  the  news  of  little 
Marguerite's  death,  my  niece's  child.  "  And  how  did  you  leave 
M.  and  Mme.  Jeanmairet?"  enquired  my  wife.  "  Oh,  very  well  ; 
they  were  amusing  themselves."  "  What !  amusing  themselves, 
when  their  child  had  just  died  ? "  Whereupon  the  man  burst 
into  a  loud  peal  of  laughter. 

There  is  something  profoundly  sad  in  this,  because  I  think 
it  is  the  key  to  the  Barotsi  character.  For  them,  nothing  is 
serious.  Everything  degenerates  into  amusement  or  disgust : 
moreover,  they  are  not  capable  of  intellectual  effort,  and  can- 
not  bear  the   least   restraint.     One  can  easily  understand  the 

27 


41 8  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

very  slight  hold  the  things  of  God  have  upon  these  frivolous 
natures. 

"  Son   of  Man,   can   these    dry    bones   live  ? "    "  Lord^    T/iou 

knowest." 

Sefula,  Ap?-il  i^ih,  1891. 

I  am  at  leisure  to-day ;  for  it  has  pleased  all  our  pupils, 
without  exception,  to  give  us  three  or  four  weeks'  holiday,  in 
order  to  go  with  the  king  to  Ruena  to  hunt  antelopes ;  and 
naturally  the  king  could  not  refuse.  It  is  a  monster  hunt ;  the 
people  betake  themselves  thither  in  battalions,  and  they  have 
a  grande  battue.  The  antelopes,  encircled  on  all  sides,  take 
refuge  on  an  islet,  the  canoes  draw  together,  the  circle  closes, 
grows  smaller,  and  to  the  first  spear  flung  by  the  king  a  general 
slaughter  ensues.  Every  one  goes  frantic.  They  roast  meat  to 
repletion  ;  they  have  the  chance  of  picking  up  a  skin  or  two 
for  the  winter.  How  can  one  blame  our  young  Zambesians  for 
throwing  off  the  constraint  and  monotony  of  school,  and  giving 
themselves  up  to  the  delights  of  this  savage  life  ? 

I  followed  them  in  a  canoe  ten  or  twelve  days  later,  in 
order  to  spend  the  Sunday  with  them  and  preach  the  Gospel. 
Meanwhile,  I  continue  to  visit  the  capital,  although  I  do  not 
find  much  encouragement  there  for  my  meetings.  The  king  is 
always  friendly,  and  so  are  the  people.  But  the  women  are 
quite  horrified  when  I  press  them  to  come.  "  What !  we  to  go 
on  the  public  square,  without  being  able  to  hide  ourselves  from 
the  men's  eyes,  as  we  can  at  Lealuyi !  Surely  the  Moruti  is  not 
serious?"  And,  in  fact,  they  do  not  come,  not  one  of  them. 
So  the  work  has  to  be  done  from  house  to  house. 

I  was  much  touched,  in  reading  last  year's  Report,  to  see 
there  a  sum  of  225  f.  (;^9)  anonymously  given  at  Neuch&tel 
"  for  M.  Coillard's  horse."  Now,  how  could  this  person  know 
that  in  1891  1  should  be  in  want  of  a  horse?  Is  it  not  really 
remarkable  ?  I  have  indeed  lost  my  horse,  that  good  old 
servant  who  knew  me  so  well,  and  without  whom  I  never 
went  any  excursion.  Everybody  else  knew  him  too.  From 
as  far  off  as  they  could  see  his  white  coat,  they  would  shout, 
"  The  missionary  ! "  And  everybody  ran  up,  men  and  women 
too.  "  Ah !  it  is  the  Lord's  Day  to-morrow,  is  it  not  ?  We 
will  come  ? "  And  the  boys  would  make  the  excursion  with 
me,  merrily  and  noisily.      It  all   reminded    me  of  my  life  in 


iSgi]  A    CLEVER    THIEF  419 

Basuto-land, — a  somewhat  faint  reflection  of  it,  to  be  sure ;  but 
still  it  brought  back  pleasant  memories.  Now  it  is  my  old  legs 
which  must  carry  me,  a  little  less  briskly,  a  little  more  painfully, 
and  perhaps  a  little  less  far,  through  our  sands  and  morasses. 
If  the  work  is  to  be  done  on  a  more  modest  scale,  still  it  will 
be  done  all  the  same.  And  until  I  get  some  new  legs,  God  will 
give  strength  and  courage. 

I  was  speaking  the  other  day  of  the  new  outbreak  of  thieving. 
I  had  laid  down  my  pen,  and  the  ink  was  scarcely  dry,  when  a 
thief,  braving  the  rain,  made  a  journey  of  four  or  five  leagues, 
in  order  to  enrich  himself  after  the  fashion  of  the  housebreaking 
fraternity.  He  had  certainly  taken  his  observations  and  timed 
his  visit  admirably,  to  judge  by  the  care  with  which  he  had 
made  his  selection,  whether  in  my  study  or  my  dark  photo- 
graphic chamber,  of  which  he  even  carried  off  the  serge  portiere. 
Only — he  had  forgotten  that  at  the  end  of  the  rainy  season 
running  would  leave  traces  on  the  sand.  At  daybreak,  as  soon 
as  I  had  given  the  alarm,  all  our  boys  were  on  the  scent.  The 
thief  made  light  of  that.  Had  he  not  a  little  magic  horn,  which 
he  shook  as  he  went  along  the  road,  firmly  believing  that  those 
who  pursued  him  would  either  drop  down  in  sleep  or  be  struck 
blind  ?  Towards  midday,  he  had  halted  in  the  shade,  among 
the  woods,  in  order  to  admire  his  booty,  and  enjoy  an  entirely 
new  sensation,  that  of  combing  and  brushing  his  hair — for  he 
was  in  possession  of  a  dressing-case.  Suddenly,  he  heard  a 
rustling  in  the  brushwood  ;  he  perceived  a  troop  of  armed 
youths,  and  with  one  desperate  bound  sought  safety  in  flight. 
All  in  vain  ;  they  seized  him,  throttled  him,  and  brought  him  to 
the  station.     The  next  day,  I  sent  him  to  the  king. 

The  unfortunate  creature  was  so  unlucky  as  to  be  a  Mongeti, 
and  not  to  have  a  Morotsi  for  his  master.  The  occasion  was 
too  tempting  to  parade  their  virtue.  After  having  left  him  all 
day  tied  up  in  the  full  sun,  the  chiefs  condemned  him  to  be  bound 
hand  and  foot,  with  two  big  blocks  of  wood  attached  to  his  legs, 
and  to  be  thrown  into  the  river.  The  king  had  prudently 
retired.  When  he  learnt  the  sentence,  he  thrice  sent  to  ask 
the  great  chiefs  if  they  were  serious.  "  Serious  ?  Most  certainly  ! 
We  must  make  an  example  ;  it  is  quite  time."  "  Very  well," 
said  the  king,  "  but  let  us  at  least  wait  for  the  missionary's 
Opinion.     Meanwhile,  throttle  the  rascal  for  me."     They  under- 


420  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

stood.  Two  stakes  were  driven  into  the  ground,  as  far  apart 
as  possible  ;  they  stretched  out  his  arms  and  legs,  and  bound 
them  to  these  stakes.  His  head  and  abdomen  were  tightly 
fastened  to  two  crosspieces — a  regular  crucifixion  ;  and  there 
the  poor  unfortunate  was  left  in  the  most  terrible  situation, 
devoured  all  night  long  by  mosquitoes,  the  whole  day  by  flies 
and  thirst,  and  scorched  by  a  burning  sun — a  spectacle  which 
attracted  and  amused  a  curious  crowd. 

I  need  not  tell  you  my  indignation,  and  the  nature  of  the 
messages  upon  messages  I  sent  the  king.  I  was  about  to  betake 
myself  to  the  village,  when  I  received  the  assurance  that  the 
poor  wretch  had  been  loosed.  Indiscreet  tongues  have  assured 
me  that,  in  spite  of  the  king's  orders,  he  was  left  thus  crucified 
for  a  day  and  two  nights — thirty-six  hours — while  his  cries  and 
groans  excited  the  general  mirth. 

What  made  me  so  indignant  was  that,  a  short  time  ago,  the 
slave  of  a  Barotsi  chief  had  committed  a  much  greater  rob- 
bery, under  greatly  aggravated  circumstances.  Though  he  was 
caught  red-handed  and  conducted  straight  to  the  lekJiotJila,  the 
great  chiefs  had  not  even  a  reprimand  for  him.  "  He  is  the 
child  of  a  Morotsi,"  they  said  :  "  his  fault  is  ours  ;  we  will  pay 
his  fine."  And  this  individual  strutted  about,  unashamed,  after 
as  before.  I  did  not  want  their  fine  ;  but  the  kind  people  spared 
me  the  embarrassment  of  either  accepting  or  declining  it. 
Don't  talk  to  me  of  Blind  Justice  at  the  Zambesi.  She  has 
uncommonly  good  eyesight. 

During  my  last  visit  to  the  king,  the  latter  returned  to  his 
favourite  theme — an  industrial  school.  He  is  so  engrossed  with 
the  idea  of  having  boys  whom  we  have  polished  up  a  little,  that 
he  bribes  mine  away  one  after  another — in  a  manner,  moreover, 
which  does  him  little  honour. 

Sefula,  June  i6t/i,  1891. 
We  are  in  the  midst  of  a  tempest  :  other  letters  will  have 
told  you  this  already.  We  have  never  before  been  in  such  a 
gale,  so  furious  and  persistent.  It  is  still  the  affairs  of  the  South 
African  Company  that  are  upsetting  people's  minds.  Without 
being  a  St.  Paul,  I  too  have  my  "  Alexander  the  coppersmith," 
who  has  done  and  still  "  docs  me  much  evil."  I  needed  this  bitter 
sorrow  and  painful  humiliation,  and  I  pray  daily  that  I   may  be 


iSgi]  "ALEXANDER    THE    COPPERSMITH"  42 1 

filled  with  the  same  spirit  as  David,  who  in  the  day  of  his 
adversity  endured  Shimei's  insults,  and  replied  to  those  who 
would  have  avenged  him,  "  The  Lord  hath  said  unto  him, 
Curse  David."  ^ 

The  last  incidents  that  have  arisen  confirm  me  more  and 
more  in  the  conviction  that  the  treaty  made  last  year  with  the 
Company  has  been  the  lifebuoy  as  much  for  the  nation  as  for 
Lewanika  himself.  But  to-day  we  are  quite  alone  in  our 
opinion.  Our  adversaries,  who  have  posed  as  the  champions 
and  saviours  of  the  nation,  have  represented  thinp^s  very 
differently.  Insinuations,  calumnies,  and  the  false  light  thrown 
on  facts  have  found  a  fertile  soil  in  the  radically  suspicious, 
excitable,  and  vindictive  nature  of  our  poor  Barotsi,  and  have 
quickly  borne  their  fruits  of  distrust,  threats,  and  insults.  The 
excitement  of  the  Scsheke  chiefs  is  at  its  height  ;  and  the  king 
himself,  rightly  or  wrongly,  says  that  it  is  partly  to  this  that 
we  must  attribute  the  ill-treatment  Mr.  Baldwin  (the  Methodist 
missionary)  has  suffered,  and  that  M.  Goy  has,  in  part  at  least, 
so  nobly  shared.  Serious  dangers  are  threatening  us.  Should 
?i  pitso  take  place  on  Mokwae's  return  with  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke, 
or  should  a  rumour  spread  that  the  Company  wishes  to  avail 
itself  of  the  treaty  to  enter  the  country  forcibly,  what  will 
become  of  us — of  me  ? 

The  king  himself  understands  me,  and  is  incapable  of  doing 
us  the  least  harm  ;  but  he  is  still  more  incapable  of  protecting 
us.  He  is  trembling  for  himself:  hence  his  persistence  in 
throwing  on  me  alone  all  the  responsibility.  If  the  vengeance 
of  the  Barotsi  demands  a  victim,  he  will  deliver  one  up  much 
sooner  than  expose  himself  Alas  !  he  has  just  given  us  a  sad 
proof  of  this. 

The  Methodist  missionaries  have  been  a  year  in  the  country, 
and,  poor  things  !  have  had  all  sorts  of  troubles  ;  besides  which, 
they  have  not  yet  been  able  to  learn  the  language,  and  this 
impairs  their  popularity.  On  the  feeblest  of  pretexts,  one  of 
them  has  been  shamefully  and  cruelly  ill-treated,  at  Queen 
Mokwae's,  near  Sesheke.  This  has  naturally  been  bruited  all 
through  the  country.^     It  was   from  Lewanika  himself  that   I 

'  See  2  Sam.  xvi.  10,  11, 

3  The  story  of  these  troubles  was  briefly  as  follows :— The  queen, 
Mokwae,  had  gone  on  a  iiunting  expedition,  leaving  her  "palace"  under  the 


422  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

first  heard  of  it :  then  came  the  letters  of  our  brethren  Louis 
Jalla  and  Goy,  full  of  an  earnestness  and  elevation  that  would 
have  pleased  you.  I  read  them  to  the  king.  It  was  given 
to  me  also  to  be  faithful,  both  in  private  and  in  my  Sunday 

guardianship  of  one  of  her  attendants.  One  of  the  English  missionaries 
entered  the  court  to  speak  to  the  warder,  not  knowing  it  was  contrary  to 
etiquette  to  do  so  in  the  queen's  absence ;  and  the  next  evening,  while 
taking  a  moonlight  stroll  with  one  of  his  colleagues,  he  brought  the  latter  into 
the  palace  court,  to  show  him  how  it  was  built ;  and,  to  illustrate  his  explana- 
tions, he  traced  some  lines  on  the  sand  with  his  foot.  Instantly,  the  warder 
accused  them  both  of  sorcery  against  the  queen,  who,  directly  she  heard  of 
it,  sent  for  both  the  missionaries.  Only  one  of  them,  Mr.  Baldwin,  was  able 
to  attend,  the  other  being  ill  with  fever.  M.  Goy  went  with  him  to  act  as 
interpreter  and  advocate.  Their  reception  augured  ill.  The  queen  refused 
to  see  them.  They  found  chiefs  and  men  all  assembled  on  the  public  place, 
Mr.  Baldwin  was  denied  the  usual  courtesy  granted  to  the  missionaries  of 
sitting  on  his  camp-stool,  but  was  forced  like  an  accused  and  already  con- 
demned man  to  squat  bare-headed  on  the  burning  sand  and  under  a  broiling 
sun.  M.  Goy,  indignant,  protested,  but  in  vain,  and  then  shared  the  humiliation 
of  his  brother.  The  mock  proceedings  had  hardly  begun  when  a  chief 
suddenly  threw  himself  upon  Mr.  Baldwin,  crying  out,  "Seize  him  !"  About 
five  hundred  men  instantly  surrounded  them,  crying,  "  Strangle  him  !  Throw 
him  into  the  water ! "  M.  Goy,  thinking  to  save  him,  flung  his  arms  round 
him  ;  but  the  people  were  so  infuriated,  that,  after  a  hand-to-hand  struggle, 
in  which  both  the  missionaries  were  cruelly  ill-used,  they  succeeded  in 
tearing  them  apart.  The  chiefs  of  Sesheke  held  M.  Goy  fast,  abusing  him  as 
a  "thief"  and  "arch-sorcerer,"  for  espousing  Mr.  Baldwins  cause.  Mean- 
while, Mr.  Baldwin  was  far  more  severely  handled  by  the  queen's  followers, 
who  tortured  him  by  twisting  his  arms  and  legs,  and  sent  him  back  to  his 
defender,  unrecognisably  disfigured  with  blood  and  dust.  In  this  state,  he 
was  again  forced  to  sit  on  the  burning  sand  in  the  sun  for  an  hour.  At 
last  Mokvvae  said,  "I  consent  to  pardon  him,  but  he  must  pay  a  fine"; 
to  which  Mr.  Baldwin  agreed,  in  order  to  save  his  life.  All  night  long, 
M.  Goy  heard  them  repeating  ferociously  around  him,  "Yes,  we  will  kill 
that  white  man ;  he  wanted  to  bewitch  our  queen,  and  get  possession  of 
the  country."  Next  day,  Mokwae  offered  M,  Goy  canoes  to  return  to  the 
station,  but  he  was  obliged  to  insist  that  Mr.  Baldwin  should  be  in  the 
same  boat  as  himself,  for  fear  she  might  have  given  orders  to  have  him 
abandoned  on  an  islet  or  thrown  into  the  river. 

It  was  not  till  after  two  or  three  years  of  probation  and  sufferings  such 
as  the  foregoing,  that,  through  M.  Coillard's  persistent  endeavours  on  their 
behalf,  the  Primitive  Methodists  were  allowed  to  settle  in  Mashukulumboc- 
land.  Mr.  Baldwin  is  now  in  charge  of  the  station.  Mr.  Buckenham,  the 
leader  of  the  band,  died  in  1896,  after  a  long  and  painful  illness,  brought 
on  by  the  climate  and  the  hardships  and  privations  they  had  gone  through. 
M.  Goy,  their  champion,  died  about  the  same  time,  and  from  similar  causes 


iSgi]  THE    PRIMITIVE    METHODISTS  423 

preaching,  at  the  lekhothla  (2  Cor.  v.  20 :  "  We  are  ambassadors 
for  Christ "),  and  to  denounce  the  conduct  of  Mokwae  and  the 
chiefs  of  Sesheke  as  a  grave  offence  against  God,  Whose  servants 
we  are.  The  king  certainly  shared  my  feelings.  He  was  very 
much  displeased  by  the  affair,  and  he  cast  all  the  odium  of 
it  upon  the  Sesheke  chiefs.  Mokwae,  according  to  him,  was 
nothing  but  a  tool  in  their  hands.  He  wanted  to  send  them 
a  severe  reprimand,  but  was  grieved  that  he  had  nobody 
courageous  enough  to  convey  his  message  to  them.  It  was  in 
vain  that  together  we  went  over  the  principal  personages  of 
the  Valley.  The  Seshekians  are  formidable,  and  everybody 
dreads  them.  Lewanika,  while  opposing  our  Methodist 
brethren's  going  to  the  Mashukulumboe,  or,  as  I  earnestly 
begged  them,  to  the  Batoka,  left  them  free  to  stop  in  the 
country  or  to  go.  Scarcely  had  I  reached  home,  when  his  mood 
changed.  His  messengers  came  one  on  the  top  of  the  other, 
all  contradictory,  and  each  one  more  bitter  than  the  last.  He 
had  requested  me,  by  letter,  to  write  to  the  English  missionaries 
in  the  sense  above  indicated,  and  then  sent  the  letter  back 
to  me  full  of  indignation,  telling  me  by  the  hand  of  Scajika 
himself,  that  he  had  never  asked  me  to  write,  that  it  was  all 
the  lies  and  inventions  of  that  liar  Seajika,  and  that,  as  it  was 
I  who  had  introduced  these  gentlemen,  he  owed  it  to  mc  to 
tell  me  the  message  he  had  already  sent  them.  And  this 
message  is  a  very  hard  one  for  the  Methodists. 

The  conclusion  is,  that  the  king  refunds  the  fine  Mokwae 
had  made  them  pay,  but  orders  them  to  quit  his  country 
immediately. 

My  impression  is  that  he  is  afraid  of  the  Sesheke  chiefs,  and 
that  he  has  not  the  courage  to  take  the  part  of  the  Methodist 
missionaries.  He  sacrifices  them  to  get  out  of  his  difficulty, 
which  is  not  very  reassuring  for  us.  But  do  not  fear.  God  is 
watching  over  us  ;  He  reigns.  For  some  time,  a  spirit  of  murmur- 
ing and  discontent  has  increasingly  prevailed,  and  bodes  no  good. 
Lewanika  is  not  ignorant  of  it,  but  that  does  not  prevent  him 
from  irritating  instead  of  conciliating  his  people.  At  his  last 
hunt,  there  were  two  strikes  among  the  thousands  of  men  who 
followed  him.  They  had  already  accompanied  him,  much 
against  the  grain  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  very  cold  nights,  he  went 
so  far  as  to  forbid  them  the  camp,  even  though  they  had  not 


424  ON    TFIE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

their  blankets.  This  was  because  he  had  had  some  misunder- 
standing with  the  great  chiefs.  Just  now,  all  our  district  is  again 
agitated.  Panic  has  seized  everybody,  and  the  villages  are 
deserted.  It  is  the  Lefunga — the  Terror  of  the  king.  Mes- 
sengers swoop  down  on  all  the  villages,  carrying  off  the  children, 
boys  and  girls,  the  prisoners  of  a  certain  age  being  knocked 
down  with  blows.  Later  on,  it  was  the  turn  of  the  women,  to 
be  taken  forcibly  for  disposal  according  to  the  king's  caprice. 
At  the  lekJiothla,  the  men  were  throttled  wholesale.^  And  all 
because  a  few  workmen  took  some  of  the  materials  of  the 
temporary  capital,  which  the  king  has  now  left  in  order  to  return 
to  Lealuyi.  It  is  whispered  that  these  men  are  accused  of 
aiming  at  the  king's  life,  in  order  to  put  some  one  in  his  place. 

One  piece  of  news  Mokwae  has  sent  the  king  by  express 
messenger  is,  that  the  Matabele  have  crossed  the  river  below 
Kazungula.  Mokwae  has  taken  flight,  and  is  returning  to  the 
Valley. 

What  complications  in  this  unhappy  country !  I  do  not 
believe  this  last  news  until  it  has  been  confirmed.  They  have 
cried  "Wolf"  so  long.  But  one  fine  day,  when  people  have 
ceased  to  believe  in  him,  the  wolf  may  very  well  make  his 
appearance. 

Just  now,  there  is  an  alarming  recrudescence  of  paganism  ; 
it  is  boldly  lifting  its  head  again.  One  would  say  we  had  lost 
ground.  Lewanika  himself  is  not  always  very  pleasant,  either 
with  his  subjects  or  even  with  us.  And  we  need  much  prudence 
and  charity,  if  we  are  to  maintain  our  mutual  good  relations. 

I  told  you  that  the  king  had  sent  orders  to  our  Methodist 
brethren  to  leave  the  country,  and  that  all  my  efforts  in  their 
favour  had  failed.  Since  then,  he  has  yielded  to  my 
importunities,  and  has  given  them  permission  to  stay,  "  in  order 
to  learn  the  language  and  customs  of  the  people  here."  I  bless 
God  for  it.  I  knew  that,  with  their  losses  of  cattle,  our  friends 
could  not  leave ;  and  I  feared  that,  if  they  remained  in  the  face 
of  the  king's  orders,  they  would  be  subjected  to  all  sorts  of 
annoyances.     The  king  declares  that  he  will  not  allow  them  to 

'  The  torture  of  throttling,  very  frequently  employed  by  the  Barotsi, 
is  generally  practised  in  such  a  way  as  to  cause,  not  death,  but  simply  a 
prolonged  fainting  fit.  Then  the  victim  is  brought  back  to  his  senses  by 
blows. 


iS9Jj  GARDEN    THIEVES  425 

go  and  found  a  mission  either  among  the  Mashukulumboe  or 
the  Batoka.  I  can  only  hope  that,  when  minds  have  calmed 
down  a  little,  and  we  can  discuss  matters  reasonably,  he  will  end 
by  yielding. 

Sefula,  July  2Mt,  1 89 1. 

It  needs  to  be  known  that  the  soldier  of  Christ  does  not 
gather  the  laurels  of  his  crown  of  life  in  a  delightful  garden, 
where  he  can  tread  the  primrose  paths  in  velvet  slippers. 

We  have  already  learnt  much  of  the  art  of  war  since  we 
came  to  the  Zambesi,  but  it  has  been  learnt  as  one  learns  every- 
thing in  practical  life,  at  the  expense  of  a  personal  experience 
which  is  often  hard  and  humiliating.  And  then,  when  we  begin 
to  grow  into  good  soldiers,  our  career  will  be  run,  we  must  pile 
arms  and  yield  our  place  to  others.  Our  regrets  cannot  be  at 
having  to  lay  down  our  arms,  but  at  not  having  had  all  that 
experience  which  would  have  made  us  good  soldiers  at  the 
beginning  of  the  combat.  It  is  a  poor  thing  to  be  a  conscript 
all  one's  life. 

What  makes  me  speak  like  this  is,  that,  with  all  our  expe- 
rience in  Basuto-land,  I  fear  that  as  yet  we  have  not  perfectly 
understood  our  Zambesians.  One  would  say  we  were  laying 
the  foundations  of  our  edifice  in  shifting  sands.  Our  efforts  have 
had  no  result  these  six  years  that  we  have  been  in  the  country. 
When  we  think  we  have  laboriously  raised  a  few  stones,  some 
incident  (apparently  insignificant)  occurs,  and  the  whole  thing 
collapses. 

This  is  what  is  happening  with  our  school.  Since  Litia's 
departure,  there  has  been  a  stampede  among  our  pupils.  We 
have  brought  them  back  one  by  one,  thanks  to  perseverance ; 
and  out  of  the  debris  of  our  beautiful  school  of  last  year,  we 
have  once  more  made  something  respectable.  Mile.  Kiener  is 
entirely  one  with  us  in  this  work,  which  we  constantly  bear  in 
our  hearts  and  prayers.  But  lately,  our  pupils  go  off,  they  dis- 
perse and  complain  of  hunger.  We  often  give  them  flour  and 
fish  which  we  buy  ourselves.     But  I  think  it  is  just  an  excuse. 

Stealing  has  come  into  fashion  again,  just  as  it  was  three 
or  four  years  ago.  This  year,  I  had  to  give  up  cultivating  any- 
thing, because  they  robbed  us  of  everything,  and  we  could  save 
nothing.     They  do  not  even  respect  the  fences  that  enclose  our 


426  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

cattle,  and  yet  there  is  no  lack  of  fuel  at  our  very  doors.  The 
other  evening,  two  poor  young  slave-girls  were  caught  pulling 
up  the  remainder  of  our  sweet  potatoes.  What  could  be  done 
to  them  ?  They  said  they  were  hungry.  We  detained  them 
two  days,  and  fed  them  well ;  then  we  sent  them  away  with 
a  little  exhortation  to  themselves  and  to  their  young  master,  a 
youthful  prince  among  our  pupils.  I  don't  think  we  shall  be 
forgiven  for  having  caught  these  thieves  in  the  act.  Thence 
dates  the  upset  of  our  school,  but  they  take  good  care  not  to 
tell  us  the  reason.  Am  I  not  right  in  speaking  of  shifting 
sands  ?  Still,  deeper  down  than  the  sand  we  shall  find  a  solid 
stratum,  and  we  are  seeking  that.  We  may  have  to  begin  again, 
but  we  will  succeed.  If  ever  any  one  comes  to  help  us  who  can 
give  himself  up  to  the  teaching  entirely,  we  shall  increase  the 
number  of  boys  who  live  with  us,  and  who  are,  among  all  our 
pupils,  those  who  give  us  most  satisfaction.  What  we  need, 
until  we  can  have  converted  fathers  and  mothers,  is  to  have 
pupils  in  our  own  house,  completely  severed  from  the  system  of 
slavery  prevailing  in  the  country.  Meanwhile,  I  ask  myself 
whether  the  Lord  has  not  wished  thus  to  direct  my  attention 
more  especially  towards  the  work  of  evangelisation. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

The  Death  of  Mme.  Coillard — Her  Last  Visit  to  the  Capital — Litia  s  Con- 
fession of  Faith — IKr  Last  Ilhiess — "  Do  be  in  earnest,  do  !  "—The 
Burial-place — Sympathj'  of  the  Barotsi — The  Firstfruits  of  the  Harvest — 
A  Little  Slave-boy — Nyondo— Queen  Victoria  confirms  the  Agreement  of 
the  Chartered  Company — A  Deficit. 

**  He  hath  done  all  things  well." — Mark  vii.  37. 
(Moravian  text  for  October  2Sth,   1891.) 

Sefula,  October  ^ist,  1891. 

I  AM  Still  quite  stunned  by  the  blow  which  has  just  struck  me. 
My  wife,  my  beloved  wife,  is  no  more !  She  left  me  for 
heaven  on  October  28th,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  ;  and 
the  day  before  yesterday,  in  the  afternoon,  we  accompanied  her 
mortal  remains  and  laid  them  in  the  tomb.  She  was  only  ill  in 
bed  for  nine  days  ;  but  those  days,  so  rich  in  hallowed  memories, 
are  worth  a  lifetime.  It  was  more  than  a  Pisgah  ;  it  was  the 
glory  of  Mount  Tabor ;  for  she  had  a  presentiment  of  her 
approaching  departure  which  almost  amounted  to  a  revelation  ; 
and  except  for  short,  momentary  intervals,  she  had  the  full 
possession  of  her  faculties. 

Her  bad  health  had  long  become  chronic  ;  but  when  she  had 
got  through  the  hot  season,  especially  the  months  of  September 
and  October,  and  reached  mid-November,  when  the  rains  begin, 
she  generally  felt  herself  revive.  This  year,  the  season  was 
particularly  depressing.  In  vain  we  slept  with  doors  and 
windows  open  ;  we  stifled  within  our  cottage,  where  at  night  all 
the  heat  of  the  day  seemed  to  concentrate,  and  sleep  brought  no 
refreshment.  We  sighed  for  the  rain.  Two  evenings  before 
her  death,  the  sky  for  the  second  time  became  overcast ;  and 
when  in  the  middle  of  the  night  I  replied  to  her  pressing 
questions   that    there   was  a  shower,   I   had   to  place  her  for  a 

427 


42  8  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

moment  close  to  the  window,  so  that  she  might  hear  "  that 
delicious  rain  "  falling.  At  the  hour  at  which  I  am  writing,  it 
is  pouring  ;  it  has  been  falling  since  yesterday,  and  promises  to 
fall  all  day.  The  soil  is  no  longer  red  hot  ;  the  air  is  fresh,  and 
one  can  breathe  :  but  she  is  in  the  grave  ! 

When,  at  the  beginning  of  the  month,  we  gave  holidays  to 
the  school,  she  entreated  me  to  take  her  in  the  light  waggon  to 
Lealuyi  with  Mile.  Kiener.  I  could  have  wished  to  put  off  this 
visit ;  she  seemed  to  me  too  poorly  for  it.  But  she  was  so  much  in 
earnest  about  it  that  we  started.  She  did  all  she  could  to  forget 
herself  and  make  the  journey  pleasant :  she  was  so  happy  to  be 
able  to  go !  .  .  She  felt  that  she  had  a  mission  to  accomplish, 
and  that  the  present  only  was  hers,  not  the  future,  even  the  nearest. 
She  was  too  weak  to  visit  people  in  their  homes  ;  but  the  women, 
the  chiefs'  wives  especially,  soon  besieged  her  in  her  hut,  and 
she  gave  herself  entirely  up  to  them.  The  first  days  were  well 
employed  in  cutting  out  and  sewing  dresses,  all  the  time  talking 
in  friendly  fashion  about  the  things  of  God.  She  was  happy. 
We  all  were  :  we  thought  God  would  bless  our  visit. 

The  Sunday  morning,  accompanied  by  one  of  our  girls,  she 
had  a  long  distance  to  walk  through  the  fields.  Thereupon,  a 
horrible  bird  of  prey  came  up — not  at  all  the  ordinary  secretary- 
bird,  but  something  of  the  vulture  kind — which  is  kept  in  the 
village  because  it  kills  and  eats  serpents.  This  creature,  excited 
no  doubt  by  my  wife's  umbrella  or  the  colour  of  her  dress, 
pursued  and  attacked  her  so  furiously  that  the  men  and  women 
who  ran  up  at  her  cries  of  distress  had  great  difficulty  in 
rescuing  her.  They  had  scarcely  left  her  when  the  serpent-eater 
returned  to  the  charge,  even  more  fiercely  than  before.  Some 
passers-by  came  up,  rescued  her  once  more,  and  she  returned 
to  the  village  in  a  fainting  condition.  As  she  had  no  wounds 
on  her  person,  we  thought  she  would  escape  with  her  fright 
and  the  loss  of  her  umbrella.  She  recovered  sufficiently  to  be 
present  at  both  services.  The  evening  one,  which  moved  us 
all  deeply,  filled  her  with  unspeakable  joy.  Our  dear  Litia, 
in  a  simple  and  touching  speech,  made  a  public  profession  of 
his  conversion  ;  and  while  he  was  speaking,  Mokamba,  a  young 
man  of  the  royal  family,  was  also  weeping,  and  then  broke 
into  sobs  !  "  A  Morotsi  weeping !  .  .  .  and  weeping  about  his 
sins  !     I  thought  a  Morotsi  had  no  tears  to  shed.     Why,  it  is 


i89«]  LAST    DAYS  429 

a  sight  I  would  have  travelled  three  hundred  miles  to  see  ; 
and  yet,"  she  said,  "we  have  only  had  to  come  from  Scfula." 
She  repeated  that  it  was  the  most  beautiful  meeting  she  had 
been  present  at  on  the  Zambesi  !  I  bless  God  for  the  ray  of 
His  glory  with  which  He  lit  up  the  evening  of  her  life. 

On  the  Monday,  she  was  laid  up,  and  was  no  better  on  the 
Tuesday.  "  Take  me  back  to  Scfula,"  she  said  ;  "  it  is  there 
that  I  would  die  :  do  not  let  me  die  here."  The  Wednesday, 
as  she  seemed  a  little  better,  we  took  advantage  of  it  to  return 
home.  She  bore  the  journey  better  than  we  expected,  and 
alighted  by  herself  from  the  cart.  Entering  the  house,  she 
turned  to  Mile.  Kiener,  whom  she  dearly  loved,  and  whom, 
contrary  to  her  usual  habit,  she  addressed  as  "  thee."  "  Here  I 
am ;  safely  arrived  at  last,  darling,"  she  said  ;  "  I  did  not  com- 
plain, it  is  true,  but  I  suffered  very  much.  Now  let  me  get  to 
my  bed."  She  never  left  her  room  again  but  once.  The  next 
day,  hearing  me  play  on  the  harmonium  and  sing  while  the 
dinner  was  being  served,  she  got  up  noiselessly,  and  in  her 
dressing-gown  dragged  herself  to  the  dining-room.  "  Let 
me  play  for  you,  dear,"  she  said,  gently,  "  and  spare  your 
precious  voice  as  long  as  I  can.  Let  us  sing  '  The  Golden 
Gate.' "  She  played  and  I  sang.  A  peculiar  earnestness  and 
solemnity  invested  the  whole  scene.  Little  did  I  think  that  it 
was  our  very  last  hymn  together  on  earth,  and  that  my  beloved 
fellow-pilgrim  was  so  very  near  "  the  Golden  Gate."  Indeed, 
sJie  had  sighted  it.  When  the  last  notes  had  died  away,  we 
could  not  speak.  She  quietly  left  the  harmonium,  and  went 
back  to  her  bed,  no  more  to  rise.  And  shortly  after  she  had 
left  me  behind  and  gone  .  .  .  through  "  tJie  Golden  Gate."  The 
fever  made  terrible  progress,  in  spite  of  my  efforts  and  our 
prayers.  But  I  was  blinded  ;  I  still  hoped :  I  thought  I  had 
seen  her  more  ill. 

She  had  no  such  illusion  ;  she  said  so  to  me,  with  an  accent 
of  tenderness,  which  it  wrings  my  heart  to  remember.  "  My 
beloved,"  she  said,  after  looking  at  me  long  and  fixedly,  tears 
filling  her  eyes,  "  you  will  soon  have  no  Christina.  .  .  .  You 
will  be  alone — quite  alone.  .  .  .  But  God  is  good,  and  His 
mercy  endureth  for  ever." 

She  had  one  day  of  great  anguish.  Her  whole  life  passed 
before    her.      She    wept    as   slie  puured    out   her   heart,   "  I    am 


430  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

wretched  !— oh,  so  wretched  ! — an  unprofitable  servant;  the  least, 
the  most  unworthy,  of  the  Lord's  servants  !  Oh  for  zeal,  for 
zeal !     Do  be  in  earnest,  do  !  "  ^  she  exclaimed. 

In  the  momentary  wanderings  of  her  thoughts,  she  passed 
anew  through  all  the  trials  and  distresses  that  have  made  this 
year  exceptionally  hard.  That  was  very  painful  for  me,  but 
thank  God  it  did  not  last.  Jesus  was  there.  With  the  breath 
of  His  love,  He  dissipated  these  dark  clouds,  and  flooded 
her  soul  with  serenity  and  peace.  "  Oh  !  He  is  good — yes, 
He  is  good,"  she  often  repeated,  "and  His  mercy  endureth  for 
ever."  And  she  spoke  of  the  things  above,  as  one  who  is 
already  on  the  threshold  of  heaven,  and  for  whom  faith  is 
gradually  changing  into  sight. 

She  was  very  sensitive  to  physical  suffering,  and  this  aspect 
of  death  had  often  troubled  her.  We  talked  of  it  very  freely, 
and  often  prayed  together  about  it.  On  the  eve  of  her  death, 
she  said  to  me,  "  Dying  is  not  as  difficult  as  we  thought,  and 
as  I  feared  ;  it  is  not  painful ;  and  then  it  is  such  a  short  passage, 
when  'underneath  are  the  everlasting  Arms.'"  This  beautiful 
passage  (Deut.  xxxiii.  27),  so  wonderfully  sweet  in  her  mother- 
tongue,  had  often  upheld  us  in  our  distresses.  And  that  other, 
too,  in  Ps.  Ixxiii.  23,  24,  which  she  loved  to  repeat,  and  which  like 
a  river  of  living  water  had  refreshed  her  whole  career :  "  Never- 
theless, I  am  continually  with  Thee ;  Thou  hast  holden  me  by 
my  right  hand.  Thou  shalt  guide  me  with  Thy  counsel,  and 
afterward  receive  me  to  glory." 

Before  returning  for  the  last  time  to  her  bed,  which  had  just 
been  made,  she  asked  me  to  draw  aside  the  curtain  of  the 
open  window.  Gazing  into  the  immensity  of  the  sky,  through 
the  foliage  which  the  wind  was  lightly  shaking,  she  remained 
a  moment  in  mute  contemplation  ;  then  she  cried  out  with 
a  delight  we  shall  never  forget,  "  Oh,  que  dest  beau,  que  dest 
done  beau  !  Oh,  J  low  very  beautiful!  "  Had  she  then  a  vision 
of  the  glory  she  was  so  soon  to  enter  into  ?  She  reached  her 
bed  with  difficulty,  "/^  suis  enfin  arrive'e,"  she  said,  laying  her 
head  upon  the  pillow. 

These  were  her  last  words.  She  had  spent  all  these  nights 
without  sleep.  I  myself  was  exhausted  and  much  depressed  by 
a  severe  cold.     But  I  felt  so  comforted,  when  at  length  I  saw 

'  These  last  words  in  italics  were  uttered  in  English,  her  mother-tongue. 


iSqi]  the  last  sleep  431 

her  close  her  eyelids,  and  sink  peacefully  to  sleep,  that  I  could 
not  leave  her.  I  was  full  of  hope.  Alas !  this  sleep  ended  by 
making  me  anxious.  Towards  the  morning,  a  change  took 
place  which  alarmed  me.  I  could  no  longer  deceive  myself: 
it  was  indeed  the  sleep  of  death.  In  my  anguish,  I  would  have 
had  one  more  last  word,  one  last  look  of  farewell.  But  no,  I 
had  not  that  comfort.  Mile.  Kiener  entered,  then  VVaddell,  then 
Andreas — a  little  group  of  desolate  mourners  ;  we  wept  in  silence, 
we  cried  to  God,  we  watched.  The  Lord  was  there.  Soon  the 
breathing  became  more  feeble  and  irregular,  and  then  ceased 
altogether.  God  in  His  mercy  had  spared  her  the  sufferings 
of  a  long  and  painful  death-agony. 

How  sweet  to  her  must  be  the  eternal  rest  of  the  saints  ! 
How  weary  she  was — she  who  had  always  been  so  strong,  so 
active,  and  so  full  of  energy  !  You  will  not  be  astonished  that 
the  question  of  a  voyage  for  her  health  had  once  presented  itself 
to  my  mind,  and  that  I  spoke  to  her  seriously  of  it.  Travel 
for  her  health !  Far  from  her  to  condemn  those  who  do  it, 
but  to  travel  for  herself  seemed  to  her  selfishness  and  lack  of 
confidence  in  God.  "  No,  life  is  too  short,  and  the  work  is  too 
great ;  let  us  be  faithful  to  our  post  until  the  end.  The  Master 
knows  that  I  need  health,  and  He  can,  if  He  will,  give  it  me  here, 
without  my  going  elsewhere  to  seek  it."  And  we  spoke  no  more 
of  it.  When  we  were  married,  rather  more  than  thirty  years 
ago,  she  spoke  these  words  to  me  :  "  I  have  come  to  Africa 
to  do  the  work  of  God  with  you,  whatever  it  may  be  and 
wherever  it  may  be  ;  and  remember  this —  Wherever  God  may 
call  you,  you  shall  never  find  me  crossing  your  path  of  duty"  It 
was  more  than  a  beautiful  saying ;  it  was  the  principle  of  her 
whole  life.  If  she  had  one  passion,  it  was  for  the  intimate  and 
sedentary  life  of  the  domestic  hearth.  She  had  always  sighed 
for  a  house  which  should  be  her  home.  And  for  more  than 
fifteen  years  we  lived  together,  building  and  rebuilding  ruins, 
living  in  temporary  structures  and  in  the  midst  of  wars,  travelling 
far  away  in  the  deserts  or  living  in  exile.  Then  there  was  a 
lull  in  our  tempestuous  life  :  we  returned  to  Lerib6  ;  we  built  the 
church,  our  Ebenezer;  there  was  life  around  us.  Those  were 
bright  days.  The  house  too  was  built — I  thought  it  was  our 
nest ;  and  for  her  sake  I  did  my  best  to  line  it  softly.  Two  years 
had  not  gone  by  before  we  started  for  Banyal-land.     "  We  have 


432  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

weighed  anchor,"  she  said  ;  "  we  are  sailing  into  the  Unknown  ; 
but  God  knows  where  we  shall  land." 

Who  would  then  have  said  it  was  to  be  at  the  Zambesi  ? 
The  Zambesi  was  to  her  the  post  of  duty  ;  it  became  the  post  of 
suffering.  There  she  suffered  morally  even  more  than  physically. 
Never,  during  the  thirty  years  of  our  life  together,  had  we  had 
such  bitter  disappointments,  nor  such  painful  and  burning  trials. 
Our  work  needed  to  be  consecrated  by  sufferings.  But  God 
has  not  forgotten  us.  Our  friends  in  Europe,  known  and 
unknown,  have  surrounded  us  with  their  sympathy  and  prayers. 
Andreas,  Mr.  Waddell,  and  Mile.  Kiener,  each  in  their  place  and 
in  the  full  measure  of  their  strength,  have  shown  towards  us, 
towards  her  especially,  an  affection  and  devotion  which  have 
been  a  blessing  to  us,  and  which  our  adorable  Master  will 
remember,  since  He  has  said,  "  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  Me." 

November  12th  (?). 

Her  mortal  remains  rest  under  the  shade  of  that  great  forest 
tree  where  we  used  to  have  picnics,  and  where  we  liked  to  go 
sometimes,  when  she  was  able,  to  sit,  talk,  read,  or  meditate.  I 
had  had  a  space  cleared  all  round,  and  a  little  path  made  leading 
to  it.  "  What  a  delicious  spot ! — how  calm  !  how  restful !  Let 
me  rest  here  when  I  die,  will  you  not  ?  "  she  said  to  me  one  day. 
And  it  is  there  that  she  reposes. 

God  upheld  me  for  that  terrible  burial-day  that  I  so  dreaded. 
I  was  able  to  see  to  all  the  details  of  the  funeral  ceremony, 
thanks  to  the  affectionate  help  of  Waddell,  Andreas,  and  Mile. 
Kiener,  each  in  their  own  department.  I  was  able  to  read, 
pray,  exhort,  and  even  sing  beside  that  grave  which  was  taking 
from  me  the  most  precious  thing  I  had  on  earth. 

Yes,  I  was  able  to  sing  the  song  of  triumph  and  hope,  "  Jesus 
is  risen  from  the  dead,"  the  thirty-fourth  in  our  Sesuto  collection. 
My  appeals  were  listened  to  with  gloomy  attention.  I  must 
have  seemed  very  strange  to  these  poor  people.  We  were  all 
in  our  best  clothes ;  the  children  of  the  house  had  scarves  of 
white  calico,  in  sign  of  mourning  ;  the  coffin,  covered  with  white, 
had  been  decorated  with  a  cross  and  wreaths  of  foliage  by  the 
affectionate  hands  of  Mile.  Kiener  ;  and  we  sang  ! 

Lewanika  had  sent  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  nation  who 
were  about  him  just  then  ;  Litia  and  some  of  our  other  young 


•>> 


1S91]  THE    FUNERAL  433 

men  were  there,  and  so  were  those  women  of  the  neighbourhood 
who  had  sufficient  courage  to  conquer  their  fears  and  prejudices. 
Lewanika,  being  too  unwell  to  come  himself,  sent  me  an  ox. 
"  Those  were  his  tears."  It  seems  that  it  is  the  habit  to  send 
some  present,  when  one  cannot  go  oneself  to  the  burial  of  a 
member  of  one's  oivn  family.  I  did  not  accept  it  till  I  had  fully 
assured  myself  it  was  nothing  but  a  pure  and  simple  expression 
of  sympathy.  Mokwae,  too,  sent  her  principal  personages  ;  and 
others  keep  coming  one  after  another !  Poor  people !  they 
cannot  give  what  they  have  not  got  themselves.  I  was  much 
touched  yesterday  to  see  a  poor  man,  unknown  to  me,  come 
to  present  me  with  a  pair  of  fowls,  together  with  a  little 
speech  of  real  sympathy  !  I  shall  not  lose  sight  of  this  good 
Matondo. 

It  is  already  fifteen  days,  fifteen  long  days,  that  I  have  been 
alone — days  that  have  seemed  like  months.  She  has  entered 
into  that  repose  she  so  longed  for  ;  she  gazes  on  the  King  of 
glory  in  His  beauty,  that  Jesus  whom  she  loved  and  served. 
I  would  not,  even  if  I  could,  call  her  back  to  this  life  of 
sufferings  and  of  sin.  But  when  I  had  followed  her  to  the 
threshold  of  eternity,  when  I  had  seen  her  already  radiant  with 
the  glory  of  heaven,  when  the  portals  of  the  City  of  God  closed 
upon  her,  and  I  found  myself  alone,  quite  alone  in  darkness  and 
in  tears,  my  heart  was  broken. 

She  lived,  she  laboured  and  suffered,  as  few  missionaries' 
wives  have  done.  The  Lord  took  her,  and  He  did  it  tenderly. 
For  more  than  thirty  years — mingling  her  life  with  mine — she 
was,  after  my  Saviour  and  God,  everything  to  mc.  She  was 
at  the  centre  of  all  my  projects,  bearing  her  heavy  share  of 
labours  and  fatigues  through  evil  report  and  good  report  with 
unparalleled  devotion.  In  her,  I  lose  a  X.xwo.wife  in  all  the  force 
of  the  term — one  whom  I  had  received  as  "  a  favour  from  the 
Lord."  I  could  always  count  on  her  judgment  and  the  wisdom 
of  her  counsels.  If  God  had  clearly  called  me  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  she  would  joyfully  have  followed  me  thither,  without 
consulting  jeither  her  tastes  or  her  ease.  It  was  a  terrible  blow 
to  her  to  leave  Leribe,  the  work  of  our  youth.  But  she  made 
the  sacrifice  without  a  murmur,  telling  me  that  she  should  no 
longer  have  a  home  down  here,  and  that  she  would  be  hence- 
forward a  stranger  and  a  pilgrim  on  the  earth. 

28 


434  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

These  dark  days  have  had  their  rainbow  too,  and  I  have 
cause  to  bless  in  the  midst  of  my  tears.  I,  who  travel  so 
much,  was  at  home.  It  was  such  a  delight  for  her.  My  birth- 
day, the  17th  of  July,  had  so  often  found  us  separated,  that 
this  year  it  was  a  pleasure  to  see  her  so  happy.  When  I 
think  that  at  the  moment  of  her  departure  I  might  have  been 
travelling,  that  Mile.  Kiener  might  not  have  been  with  us, 
my  heart  overflows  with  gratitude  towards  God.  Mile.  Kiener 
has  been  a  real  daughter  to  us.  My  wife,  among  ourselves, 
took  pleasure  in  calling  her  "  Dieu-donn^e "  ;  she  loved  her 
tenderly.  There  was  a  strong  current  of  sympathy  between 
them.  During  the  whole  of  this  year  that  our  dear  sister  has 
spent  at  Sefula,  a  year  exceptionally  full  of  trials  and  sufferings, 
she  has  been  a  joy  and  blessing  to  us.  Again,  we  have  that 
faithful  Waddell,  so  affectionate  and  devoted,  and  our  dear 
Andreas.  That  is  all  our  little  world  ;  it  is  soon  reckoned  up  ; 
but  it  was  complete. 

And  then  she  had  the  joy  of  seeing  the  firstfruits  of  the 
harvest.  What  will  these  firstfruits  yield  ?  I  know  not.  But 
at  any  rate,  for  the  moment,  there  they  are.  Besides  Andreas, 
fo2ir  of  our  young  men  profess  to  have  found  Jesus.  Could  she 
have  desired  a  finer  sunset  ? 

The  year  had  been  a  hard  one.  Never,  during  our  thirty 
years  together,  had  we  passed  through  so  many  sufferings  and 
distresses.  She  often  said,  "  What  a  year !  I  wonder  how  it 
will  all  end."  Everything  seemed  against  us — everything !  A 
bad  spirit  of  hostility,  aroused  by  a  man  who  once  possessed  all 
my  confidence  and  affection — my  "  Alexander  the  coppersmith  " 
— everywhere  prevailed,  possessed  the  king,  and  upset  our  school. 
We  were  losing  ground  :  we  felt  it.  Litia,  whom  we  rejoiced 
(with  some  trembling,  it  is  true)  to  see  going  to  Basuto-land, 
almost  from  the  first  had  misunderstandings  with  our  friend 
Jalla  ;  and  after  having  made  the  journey  difficult  for  him,  left 
him  at  Mangwato,  and  came  back  to  the  country  alone  with 
his  companions.  We  dreaded  the  effect  of  this  rash  act  ;  and 
we  had  good  cause  to ;  for  when  the  news  came,  our  pupils  left 
us  in  a  body  the  next  day  :  as  for  the  king,  he  no  longer  deigned 
to  reply  to  my  messages.  We  went  on  just  the  same  with  the 
children  of  the  house,  and  the  few  pupils  we  could  recruit  in 
the  neighbouring  villages.     At  the  end  of  a  fortnight's  sulking, 


iSgi]  THE    FIRST-FRUITS  435 

our   pupils  came  back,  somewhat    crestfallen    to  find   that   we 
could  have  a  school  without  thcm.^ 

But  all  the  same,  the  spirit  was  not  good.  We  were  tired 
of  the  struggle.  Well,  the  last  week  before  the  holidays,  a 
little  boy,  one  of  the  slaves  of  the  queen's  son,  who  followed 
his  young  master  to  school,  declared  himself  for  the  Saviour. 
When  he  came  into  my  room  to  speak  to  me,  I  could  not 
believe  my  ears.  "  Moruti,  I  come  with  great  news  :  /  have 
found  Jesus ! "  He  had  been  serious  and  exercised  in  his 
soul  for  a  year  ;  he  had  even  worked  with  his  hands,  in  order 
to  procure  books  which  others  received  from  their  masters 
or  bought  with  young  bullocks.  When  I  had  heard  him,  and 
he  had  prayed  with  me,  I  ran  to  my  wife  and  said,  "  Think, 
darling,  what  news  !  Mpututu  has  just  been  .speaking  to  me  ; 
he  says  he  has  found  Jesus !  "  I  leave  you  to  imagine  the  joy 
there  was  in  our  little  family  circle.  Poor  Mpututu !  I  do 
not  know  why  we  were  so  surprised  at  his  conversion.  Alas ! 
it  is  that,  while  praying  earnestly,  we  have  after  all  very  little 
faith,  and  we  say  very  naturally  to  "  Rhoda,"  when  beside 
herself  with  joy  she  announces  the  granting  of  our  prayers, 
"  Thou  art  mad  ! "  We  are  not  much  better  than  the  Christians 
at  Jerusalem — if  only  we  were  as  good  !  This  poor  boy,  who 
toiled  for  two  months  to  procure  himself  the  books  which  no 
one  would  have  thought  of  giving  him,  had  not  even  some  bits 
of  skin  or  a  mat  to  sleep  on.  I  knew  nothing  of  this.  It  was 
winter :  he  accompanied  Mr.  Waddell  far  into  the  forest  to  cut 
wood  for  carpentering.  The  weather  was  cold  ;  and  all  night  he 
was  heard  shivering  and  crying,  "  Mawe  f  mawe!" — the  Barotsi 
cry  of  suffering.  Mr.  Waddell  did  everything  he  could  for  this 
slave,  whom  they  treat  worse  than  a  dog.  But  this  recollection 
touches  and  confounds  me.  Why  did  he  not  rather  work  for 
a  blanket  ?  One  does  not  grow  accustomed  to  suffering. 
Mpututu  docs  not  sleep  under  cover ;  he  is  one  of  those  who 
sleep  outside  at  his  young  master's  door.  Will  this  really  be 
our  Onesimus  ? 

'  This  behaviour  on  Litia's  part,  unfortunate  as  it  seemed  at  the  time, 
turned  out  to  be  the  best  thing  that  eould  have  happened  During  his  stay 
at  Mangwato,  Litia  tell  entirely  under  Khama's  Christian  influence,  conceived 
a  boyish  devotion  to  him,  and  returned  home  determined  to  be  henceforth  a 
Christian,  and,  when  he  should  be  a  chief,  to  govern  like  Khama. 


436  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1891 

As  for  Litia,  whose  return,  as  I  have  said,  troubled  and 
disturbed  us,  we  had  long  been  expecting  him  to  come  to 
the  Saviour's  feet.  From  the  first  interview  I  had  with  him,  all 
our  fears  vanished.  "  My  father,"  he  said,  beaming  with  joy, 
"  I  am  no  longer  the  Litia  of  former  days :  I  am  converted  ; 
I  have  found  Jesus!"  I  do  not  know  up  to  what  point 
he  has  the  sense  of  sin,  and  I  cannot  tell  whether,  in  the 
position  he  occupies,  he  will  be  a  consistent  Christian.  For 
that,  the  work  of  God's  grace  in  his  heart  will  need  to  be  real 
and  deep.  But,  to  judge  by  the  conversations  I  have  had 
with  him,  and  by  his  prayers,  I  cannot  help  believing  in  the 
sincerity  of  his  conversion.  You  know  that  a  long  time  ago 
we  believed  that  the  grace  of  God  had  begun  its  work  in  him. 
But  it  seems  that  it  was  the  prayers  and  exhortations  of  a 
young  man  at  Mangwato  that  caused  the  scales  to  fall  from 
his  eyes.  And  at  the  last  service  at  which  my  wife  was  present 
on  earth,  when  the  sun  was  touching  the  horizon,  the  dear, 
dear  boy,  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  assembled  people  in  the 
public  square,  made  a  simple  but  touching  confession  of  faith. 
During  this  time,  his  travelling  companion  wept  and  sobbed- 
We  were  all  moved.  "  Oh  that  Thou  wouldest  rend  the 
heavens ! "  my  dear  wife  often  repeated  in  earnest  prayer 
during  her  illness.  Well,  that  is  what  she  saw  and  heard — the 
first  drops  of  the  showers  that  we  expect,  the  first  notes  of 
the  song  of  victory  before  leaving  the  field  of  battle. 

I  was  just  finishing  this  letter,  when  some  one  knocked 
at  my  door.  It  was  Nyondo,  an  interesting  Mashukulumboe 
boy,  a  slave  of  the  king's.  I  have  already  mentioned  him 
to  you.  He  had  conceived  such  a  desire  to  learn  to  read 
that  Lewanika  allowed  him  to  come  to  us.  He  is  indeed 
the  best  of  all  our  scholars  in  every  respect,  and  before 
long  he  will  excel  all  those  who  have  been  at  school  before 
him.  His  conduct,  in  the  house  as  at  school,  is  almost  irre- 
proachable. He  is  serious,  obedient,  above  all  truthful,  which 
is  so  unusual  here,  and  respectful.  We  often  asked  ourselves 
what  kept  him  back,  and  we  prayed  much  for  him.  We  had 
seen  him  at  my  appeals  with  his  head  in  his  hands,  trying 
to  hide  his  tears.  All  in  vain  :  he  says  his  conscience  was  so 
ploughed  up,  that  often  he  went  at  night,  more  than  once  in 
the  same  night,  to  Andreas,  to  ask  from  him  the  help  of  his 


1891]  THE    TREATY    RATIFIED 


437 


exhortations  and  prayers.  "  I  do  not  sleep,"  he  said  to  me  ; 
"  I  watch  and  weep  all  night :  my  heart  is  sick  ;  I  cannot  even 
eat.  I  have  told  my  comrades  I  am  ill.  What  can  I  do  ?  "  I 
spoke  and  prayed  with  him.     Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul! 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  Mmc.  Coillard,  I  received  one  after 
another,  after  nine  or  ten  months  passed  without  news,  two 
voluminous  mails,  bringing,  amid  many  tokens  of  sympathy,  the 
news  of  the  definite  establishment  of  the  British  Protectorate 
over  the  Barotsi  country,  and  the  recognition  by  Queen  Victoria 
of  the  contract  entered  into  between  Lewanika  and  the  B.  S.  A. 
Chartered  Company.  This  news  reduced  to  nothing  the 
calumnies  representing  this  contract  as  simply  delivering  up 
the  country  to  the  exploitation  of  a  commercial  society,  without 
any  of  the  advantages  which  result  to  a  native  tribe  from  the 
superior  control  exercised  by  a  civilised  government.  While 
making  known  this  news  to  Lewanika,  the  Governor  of  the  Cape, 
Sir  H.  Loch,  announced  to  him  that  the  Queen  had  named  as 
her  representative  to  him  the  explorer  Mr.  Johnston,'  and  that 
the  latter  would  come  to  the  Valley  as  soon  as  he  could. 

This  was  all  that  was  needed  to  dissipate  our  political  clouds. 
Lewanika  says  he  rejoices  in  it.  Already  he  had  received 
serious  remonstrances  from  Khama,  sent  by  Litia,  on  the 
subject  of  his  change  of  front.  These  despatches  arrive  at  an 
opportune  moment,  for  a  %xq2X  pitso  of  the  chiefs  of  the  country 
is  being  assembled. 

This  is  not  to  say  we  are  entering  upon  the  golden  age. 
The  golden  age  only  exists  in  the  past  of  old  men,  and  in  the 
imagination  of  poets.  There  will  ever  be  some  evil,  much  evil, 
side  by  side  with  a  little  good.  But  if  this  little  good  be  the 
salvation  of  these  tribes  by  the  establishment  of  a  firm  and 
equitable  government,  it  is  much,  it  is  everything.  For  more 
than  three  months,  all  the  people  of  the  Valley  and  its  neigh- 
bourhood have  been  working  unremittingly  at  canals,  feeding 
themselves  as  best  they  can.  As  usual,  the  king's  emissaries  are 
scouring  the  villages,  maltreating  some,  seizing  the  cattle  of 
others.  The  poor  people  are  driven  to  extremity.  All  that 
is   to   avenge   an    insult   sustained    by   a  messenger  of  Queen 

^  Now  Sir  Harry  Johnston.  However,  he  went  to  Nyassa-tend  instead ; 
and  it  is  only  this  year  (1897)  that  an  Imperial  representative,  Mr.  Coryndon, 
has  been  appointed  to  Lealuyi. 


438  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

Mokwae's,  while  she  was  at  Sesheke.  And  the  affair  is  not 
over.  Everybody  suffers  and  groans  :  the  people  find  it  hard 
to  suppress  their  murmurs  and  discontent.  It  is  said  (and  I 
believe  it)  that  but  for  us  a  revolution  would  have  broken  out. 

But  why  must  it  be  now  that  we  receive  the  distressing  news 
of  a  terrible  deficit,  which  will  paralyse  us  just  at  the  moment, 
perhaps  the  only  one,  when  we  still  have  so  many  open  doors, 
and  when  we  must  give  a  new  impulse  to  our  mission  ? 

So  Faith  will  ever  be  a  conflict.  At  times,  I  feel  it  is  very 
weak,  very  timid,  my  poor  little  faith  !  Pray  for  us  that  it 
may  not  be  "  according  to  our  faith,"  but  "  according  to  the 
riches  of  His  graced 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

De  Profundis — A  Visit  to  Lealuyi — ^The  Yellow  Heart  of  the  Barotsi — Painful 
Defections — Dr.  Johnston— Arrival  of  Paulus — The  Methodist  Mission-  ■ 
A  Thunderstorm — Plan  for  a  Station  at  the  Capital — An  Appeal. 

Lealuyi,  November  lyd,  1891. 

I  HAVE  come  to  the  capital  to  spend  Sunday.  I  ought  to 
have  come  here  sooner,  but  I  could  not  ;  and  last  Thursday, 
on  the  eve  of  my  departure,  I  was  still  so  unwell  that  I  feared 
for  a  little  while  that  I  should  have  to  break  my  word  a  second 
time.  What  a  poor  nature  is  ours  to  be  at  the  service  of  so  great 
a  cause  and  so  unfaltering  a  Master !  Why  did  God  not  choose 
angels  and  archangels  for  this  most  sublime  of  ministries  ? 
Through  what  an  abyss  of  condescension  does  the  Almighty 
cast  His  eyes  upon  the  most  unworthy  of  His  creatures,  to 
associate  them  with  the  greatest  of  His  works — the  work  of 
Redemption  !  Ah !  it  is  because  it  needs  one  who  has  himself 
been  lost,  without  hope,  and  then  saved,  to  speak  to  others  of 
the  Saviour  !  One  must  oneself  have  heard  that  sweet  word, 
"  Son,  be  of  good  cheer  ;  thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee,"  if  one 
would  beseech  his  fellow-creatures  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 

It  is  a  month  to  the  very  day  since  we  were  here  with 
her,  in  this  same  dwelling.  The  temporary  arrangements  we 
had  made  are  still  there  intact — even  to  the  little  enclosure 
of  mats  in  the  corridor  where  I  slept.  It  was  thither  that  she 
would  slip  away  twenty  times  a  day,  and  then  come  back 
smilingly  to  take  her  place  again  among  those  chattering, 
giggling  women  who  overran  the  house.  Poor  things  !  how  little 
they  guessed  her  weak,  suffering  state,  when  she  applied  herself 
thus  to  cutting  out  and  putting  together  their  dresses  !  I  can 
still  hear  her  conversation,  full  of  sweetness,  the  fresh  and 
impressive  exhortations  that  she  addressed  to  them  while  telling 

439 


440  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1891 

them  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  Poor  creatures !  they 
pretended  to  know  nothing  about  the  Holy  Scriptures,  absolutely 
nothing  but  the  scandalous  history  of  Ham,  which  they  never 
tired  of  commenting  on,  and  out  of  which  they  got  great 
amusement,  I  live  again  through  those  days  of  ineffaceable 
memory.  Everything  speaks  to  me  of  Jie]\  everything  reminds 
me  of  her,  even  to  that  horrible  serpent-eater,  which,  perched 
on  the  top  of  a  house,  has  been  watching  me  since  daybreak, 
to  pursue  and  attack  me  like  her.  Horrible  brute  !  it  is  tenacious 
of  life  ;  the  blows  of  my  walking-stick  made  it  retreat,  but  still 
they  did  not  vanquish  it. 

Lewanika,  who  is  absorbed  in  the  construction  of  a  new 
Nalikuanda,  hastened  to  pay  me  a  visit  of  condolence.  He 
was  really  sad,  and  I  felt  grateful  to  him  for  saying  so  little. 
[  had  a  message  for  him.  Afterwards  there  was  his  mother, 
whose  age  and  position  give  her  especial  claims  on  my  affection  ; 
then  his  sister,  the  Princess  Katoka,  an  empty-headed  creature, 
but  kind-hearted  enough  at  bottom  ;  then  his  wives,  who  came 
in  groups,  chattering,  giggling,  and  teasing  one  another — mere 
will-o'-the-wisps — they  got  on  my  nerves.  Squatting  down  on 
their  mats,  they  sat  and  worried  me  to  their  hearts'  content — 
one  wanted  thread,  another  begged  for  soap,  a  third  wanted 
a  handkerchief  and  what  not.  They  looked  fixedly  at  me,  no 
doubt  thinking  me  more  silent  than  usual,  and  became  serious 
in  their  turn.  "  See,  my  sisters,  how  sad  he  is  !  "  And  then  they 
all  mourned  with  me.  I  then  reminded  them  of  Jier  last  visit, 
her  last  exhortations.  I  spoke  to  them  of  her  last  days.  I  told 
them  with  what  determination  and  what  joy  she  had  sacrified 

her  life  for  the  Barotsi,  by  giving  it  unreservedly  to  her  Master 

Then  there  was  an  explosion,  a  lugubrious  chorus  of  lamentations. 

These  women  gone,  others  came.  Then  it  was  the  turn  of 
the  chiefs,  the  great  attendants  of  the  king,  of  my  acquaintances 
and  my  friends  of  every  degree.  God  strengthened  me.  I  felt 
it  was  one  of  those  unique  opportunities  that  He  gives  us  in 
a  lifetime  to  "  adorn  the  Gospel "  and  glorify  Him.  Weary  of 
this  funeral  lev6e,  exhausted  by  the  journey  and  the  stress  of 
feeling,  I  nevertheless  went  to  visit  the  king's  principal  wife, 
Ma-Moramboa,  perhaps  the  only  person  here  in  whom  my  wife 
had  any  confidence.  She  was  a  friend  for  her,  and  they  often 
exchanged  presents.     She  was  secluded  in  a  hut  by  a  custom 


1892]  MA-MORAMBOA 


441 


which  recalls  one  of  the  Levitical  laws  ;  and  being  unable  to 
come  to  me,  she  had  sent  message  upon  message,  asking  me 
to  visit  her,  which  is  quite  permissible.  I  found  her  seated  on 
her  mat,  surrounded  by  her  companions,  and  robed  in  beautiful 
material,  the  last  present  she  had  received  from  Jier.  The 
intention  was  good.  I  sat  down  upon  a  mat  before  her  ;  but 
I  felt  at  once  that  I  had  gone  to  the  wrong  place  to  get  any 
real  comfort  for  myself.  I  let  her  talk  of  anything  and  every- 
thing, cross-examine  me  as  she  pleased,  and  ply  me  with 
those  indiscreet  questions  which  the  Barotsi  alone  possess  the 
secret  and  the  audacity  of  asking.  She  managed  wonderfully, 
just  like  a  heartless  woman.  I  only  answered  her  by  mono- 
syllables or  by  silence.  My  gravity  seemed  to  puzzle  and 
amuse  her.  She  evidently  did  not  believe  in  the  sincerity  of 
a  man  who  suffers.  To  her,  it  was  merely  a  matter  of  con- 
ventionality. And  when  I  attempted  to  speak  seriously  to  her, 
she  began  to  wink  and  make  signs  to  her  companions,  and 
ended  by  bursting  out  laughing.  She  made  many  apologies 
to  me  ;  but  I  had  received  a  wound  in  the  tenderest  part  of 
my  being,  and  I  went  to  seek  comfort  in  a  solitary  walk  and 
communion  with  my  God.  It  was  twilight  ;  darkness  fell  ; 
everything  within  and  without  toned  down  into  harmony,  and 
calm  succeeded  storm. 

Sefula,  January  yith,  1892. 

These  three  months  have  been  like  lead.  I  thought  this 
January  would  never  end.  The  days,  with  their  occupations, 
go  by  indeed  ;  but  the  nights  ! 

Since  the  departure  of  my  dear  wife,  my  trials  and  chagrins 
have  only  gone  on  accumulating.  These  are  the  dregs  of  the 
bitter  cup  of  affliction.  I  should  resist  it,  if  I  did  not  receive 
it  from  my  Father's  own  hands.  Everything  has  been  against 
me  :  men,  circumstances,  friendship,  reason — yes,  everything, 
faith  excepted.  At  a  distance,  it  is  impossible  for  you  to  realise 
how  thorny  are  all  the  details  of  my  present  life.  It  is  possible, 
too,  that  to  me  in  my  isolation,  without  anything  to  take  my 
thoughts  off  them,  they  assume  exaggerated  proportions.  Some 
of  my  troubles  date  back  to  a  long  day  ;  others  arise  from 
sources  whence  I  could  never  have  expected  them.  The  crisis 
is    lasting  a    long  while  ;  the  future  is   dark    and    threatening, 


442  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

But  she,  who  suffered  so  much  in  the  evening  of  her  life,  she 
at  least  is  in  port,  she  is  safe,  in  peace  and  in  the  glory — already 
she  enjoys  the  saints'  everlasting  rest. 

Let  me  to-day  open  an  entirely  new  chapter  of  our  difficulties. 
It  will  not  be  useless,  in  spite  of  the  somewhat  humdrum  and 
personal  character  they  may  have  in  your  eyes. 

You  know  what  the  Barotsi  call  tJie  yellow  heart.  It  is 
that  incurable  disease  the  contact  with  which  made  us  suffer 
so  acutely.  I  knew  very  well  that  they  coveted  everything, 
from  the  shoes  on  your  feet  to  the  hat  on  your  head  ;  that  they 
could,  without  the  slightest  remorse,  cut  a  man's  throat  for  the 
sake  of  seizing  his  coat  ;  that  they  are  past-masters  in  the  arts 
of  ruse  and  dissimulation.     But  I  still  had  something  to  learn. 

Ever  since  he  had  seen  my  waggon,  Lewanika  ardently 
wished  to  possess  one  too.  I  procured  one  for  him  at  the 
cost  of  infinite  worries  and  personal  losses.  Anybody  else  would 
have  felt  he  owed  me  a  fraction  of  gratitude.  Not  he !  He 
was  seized  with  yellowness  of  heart ;  and  in  order  to  provide 
a  conductor  for  this  waggon,  which,  but  for  me,  he  would  never 
have  possessed,  he  simply  carried  off  Kamburu  from  my  service. 
It  was  playing  me  a  very  cruel  trick,  after  Franz's  departure 
for  Mangwato.  He  knew  I  had  no  one  else  who  could  wield 
the  whip,  that  I  found  myself  in  the  greatest  embarrassment ; 
indeed,  my  material  works  were  paralysed  by  the  blow.  No 
matter.  This  was  not  the  first  of  our  servants  whom  he  has 
taken  from  us ;  he  has  several  others,  who  in  various  capacities 
have  been  trained  and  polished  in  my  service. 

A  few  days  after  the  departure  of  my  dear  wife,  Litia  too 
had  tJie  yellow  heart.  I  did  not  think  him  capable  of  the  astute 
machinations  by  which  he  took  from  me,  for  his  personal 
service,  a  charming  boy  we  had  had  more  than  two  years  in 
our  house.  He  knew  him  to  be  active,  obedient,  diligent,  and 
extremely  anxious  to  learn.  He  also  knew  that  I  had  a  great 
affection  for  him,  and  that,  alas !  I  was  already  founding  hopes 
upon  him  for  the  development  of  the  work.  But  Litia  is 
Lewanika's  own  son  ;  nothing  else  matters — everything  must 
give  way  to  his  rights  and  caprices. 

Now  it  is  again  Lewanika's  turn  to  have  the  yellow  heart. 
And  it  is  my  Andreas  he  is  carrying  off.  He  has  long 
knovvn    the  value  of  this    boy.     And    as   he   has   an    absolute 


1892]  ANDREAS    BEGUILED  443 

monopoly  of  everything  good  in  the  country,  he  could  not 
resign  himself  to  seeing  him  in  the  service  of  the  missionary 
instead  of  in  his  own.  Consequently,  he  set  Seajika  and  his 
associates  on  his  track,  for  he  would  never  have  had  the  courage 
to  snatch  him  openly  from  me  by  an  act  of  authority,  although 
I  could  more  easily  have  pardoned  that.  Andreas  used  to  hide 
nothing  from  me  ;  for  long  he  resisted  every  temptation  and  every 
intrigue.  But  Lewanika  and  his  agent  would  never  believe 
themselves  beaten.  Either  bribed  or  intimidated,  Andreas  gave 
way  little  by  little  to  the  king's  prestige ;  the  flattery  and  friend- 
ship of  Litia  did  the  rest.  Poor  boy  !  We  could  not  understand 
why  he  had  lost  his  spirit,  nor  why  his  reserve  had  become 
quite  embarrassing.  He  too  was  serving  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  art  of  dissimulation.  Certain  slight  incidents  did  indeed 
cause  us  some  uneasiness  now  and  then  ;  and  it  certainly 
happened  occasionally  that  we  felt  the  force  of  an  under-current. 
But  we  sought  the  cause  elsewhere,  and  a  long  way  from  its 
true  source.  Besides,  our  relationships  with  the  king  had  so  far 
improved,  our  confidence  in  Andreas  was  so  great,  that  I  did 
not  guess  the  blow  he  was  secretly  preparing  for  me.  Every  one 
around  me  knew,  it  seems,  and  wondered  under  their  breath 
at  the  king's  knavery  and  heartlessness ;  but  they  took  good 
care  not  to  whisper  a  word  of  it  to  me. 

Then  Litia's  marriage  took  place  with  the  girl  whom  we 
had  brought  up.^  We  spared  no  pains  to  make  it  a  brilliant 
and  happy  festival.  And  brilliant  and  happy  it  was,  as  much 
as  heart  could  wish,  thank  God !  and  I  am  sure  it  will  long 
be  talked  about.  But  it  left  a  sting  in  my  heart.  Will  it  be 
believed,  that  not  only  did  the  queen,  abruptly  and  without 
warning  me,  carry  off  our  young  cattle-herd  one  evening,  a 
trusted  servant,  who  had  been  placed  in  my  service  by  the  king's 
consent  (a  proceeding  which  suddenly  threw  me  into  great 
perplexity),  but  Lewanika  himself  profited  by  his  visit  to  have 
a  private  talk  with  Andreas,  and  finally  make  sure  of  his  prey. 

Eight  days  later,  while  he  was  overwhelming  me  with 
attentions  at  Lealuyi,  whither  I  had  gone  to  spend  some  days, 
he  sent  to  Andreas  (but  still  secretly,  for  nothing  is  done  openly 

'  Komoio,  daughter  of  a  headman.  Dr.  Johnston,  who  was  present  on  the 
occasion,  gives  a  vivid  description  of  it  in  his  book  "  I\oniance  and  Reality 
in  Central  Africa." 


444  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

here)  the  order  to  hold  himself  ready,  and  two  days  after  my 
return  to  Sefula  a  canoe  came  to  fetch  him.  This  thunderbolt 
stunned  us  all.  Andreas,  much  ashamed,  declared  himself  that 
he  had  no  reason  for  leaving  me.  He  did  not  even  avail 
himself  of  the  sole  pretext  of  which  he  might  at  a  pinch 
have  made  use — my  refusal,  which  I  had  reasons  for  making 
peremptory,  to  give  him  Litia's  room.  No  ;  but  leave  he 
must,  notwithstanding.  And  all  we  could  say  simply  broke 
against  that  rock.  By  the  next  morning,  his  packages  were 
done  up,  and  before  midday  he  had  really  and  finally  left  us. 

Every  one  around  us  is  astonished ;  for  even  though  they  long 
knew  of  the  king's  intrigues,  and  are  used  to  his  ways  of  acting 
towards  his  own  subjects,  they  still  thought  up  to  the  last 
moment  that  he  would  hesitate  before  depriving  me  of  a  boy 
who  was  looked  upon  as  if  he  had  been  my  own  child.  For 
me  it  is  a  bereavement,  and  one  difficult  to  bow  to,  because 
of  the  duplicity  of  which  I  have  been  the  victim.  Farewell 
now  to  the  dream  of  making  a  good  evangelist  of  our  first 
convert !  Alas !  he  is  going  to  make  a  rapid  ascent  of  the 
social  ladder.  The  king,  who  honours  him  with  his  confidence, 
immediately  gave  him  an  independent  establishment,  a  house 
and  slaves,  and  full  liberty  to  provide  himself  out  of  his 
private  kitchen,  whenever  he  does  not  feed  him  at  his  own 
hands.^  Cattle  and  a  village  are  in  the  near  future  ;  and, 
above  all,  the  thing  by  which  he  had  long  but  hitherto  in  vain 
tempted  him,  a  wife.  Who  will  this  wife  be  ?  A  mere  slave, 
or  a  girl  of  royal  blood  ?  We  shall  soon  know.  He  will 
neglect  nothing  to  rivet  the  chain,  that  is  certain. 

To  understand  my  sorrow,  you  must  know  what  Andreas 
had  been  for  seven  years  in  our  house  to  my  wife  and  me,  I 
may  be  reproached  with  having  made  too  much  of  him.  The 
reproach  would  be  just,  if  he  had  not  shown  himself  worthy  of 
all  our  confidence  and  all  our  affection.^  Although  to-day  he 
is  caught  in  the  toils,  he  is  still  my  son  in  the  faith,  whom  my 
love  and  prayers  will  pursue  in  all  his  wanderings  until  he 
returns  to  the  paths  of  truth. 

'  I.e.  by  handing  him  what  is  left  in  the  royal  dishes,  after  the  king's  own 
meals — a  privilege  reserved  for  the  most  favoured  attendants. 

^  See  former  letters  and  also  M.  Louis  Jalla's  remarks  about  Andreas, 
page  416. 


1892]  DR.    JOHNSTON'S   VISIT  445 

But  I  do  not  hide  the  fact  that  this  history  of  Andreas 
has  an  aspect  which  makes  me  anxious.  What  will  be  the 
type  of  our  Christians  in  a  country  where  a  blind  and  tyrannous 
autocracy  absorbs  everything,  and  where  physical  and  moral 
slavery  kills  all  individuality?  But  I  do  not  despair.  The 
Gospel  of  Christ  and  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  have  already 
in  all  ages  worked  as  great  miracles  and  brought  about  equally 
great  transformations  in  the  world. 

One  ray  of  sunshine  has,  by  God's  grace,  shone  in  the  midst 
of  all  these  clouds — the  visit  of  Dr.  Johnston  of  Jamaica.  It 
will  probably  not  be  news  to  you  that  for  fifteen  years  he 
has  carried  on  an  admirable  work  among  the  blacks  there. 
The  idea  came  into  his  mind  of  bringing  these  children  of 
emancipated  slaves  to  do  something  for  the  evangelisation  of 
their  fathers'  country.  If  they  are  not  equal  to  founding  and 
maintaining  a  mission  themselves,  they  can  at  least  furnish 
helpers  to  those  which  already  exist,  and  be  a  comfort  to 
European  missionaries  in  their  manual  and  evangelical  labours, 
whatever  nation  or  denomination  they  may  belong  to.  The 
idea  was  greeted  with  enthusiasm,  and  Dr.  Johnston  set  out 
with  six  of  his  best  men.  Being  very  well  known  in  Canada, 
England,  and  Scotland,  he  has  found  no  lack  of  sympathy 
among  Christians,  and  the  religious  papers  have  brought  to 
our  notice  his  great  meetings  in  Exeter  Hall  and  elsewhere. 
It  was  by  Bcnguella  that  he  penetrated  into  the  Dark  Con- 
tinent. At  Bih6,  he  left  four  of  his  companions  with  the 
American  brothers.  Certain  considerations  led  the  Doctor  to 
change  his  itineraiy  ;  and  instead  of  directing  his  way  to  Msiri's 
capital  (Msidi  or  Mosili),  he  decided  to  pass  by  the  Barotsi. 
He  proposes  to  follow  the  course  of  the  Zambesi,  and  remount 
the  Shire. 

Dr.  Johnston  passed  six  weeks  between  Lealuyi  and  Sefula, 
but  most  of  the  time  we  were  together,  either  here  or  at  the 
capital.  He  is  a  clever  and  passionate  photographer ;  conse- 
quently, we  did  a  good  deal  of  photography  together.  His 
visit  was  a  time  of  enjoyment  and  refreshment  to  us  all, 
especially  to  me.  We  had  a  great  deal  of  talk,  but  few 
discussions.  I  acted  several  times  as  interpreter  for  him  and  his 
companions,  both  here  and  at  Lealuyi.  With  himself,  I  was 
struck  by  that  freshness  and  power  which  point  to  an  earnest 


446  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

study  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  a  burning  zeal  for  the  salvation 
of  souls  :  I  was  not  less  struck  by  the  seriousness  and  elevation 
displayed  in  the  addresses  of  his  two  companions.  What  a 
difference  from  our  Christians  in  South  Africa !  At  the  risk 
of  terrifying  you  and  seeming  heterodox,  I  believe  that  slavery 
has  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  it.  The  Gospel  is  for  all,  but 
especially  for  the  poor  and  wretched.  One  feels,  in  contact 
with  these  former  slaves  of  Jamaica,  that  for  them  the  Gospel 
is  a  power  and  life  which  has  taken  possession  of  their  hearts 
and  their  whole  being.  Our  friend — let  us  say  our  friends — left 
us  on  January  17th. 

You  know  already  that  we  have  an  evangelist  come  from 
Massitissi — Paulus  Kanedi.  He  has  been  here  six  weeks.  Alas  ! 
he  too  is  a  widower,  and  always  ill.  In  these  circumstances, 
and  taking  into  account  the  manners  of  the  country,  it  is  out 
of  the  question  to  assign  him  an  isolated  post.  For  the  moment, 
therefore,  his  place  is  with  me,  and  he  forms  part  of  my  family. 
He  knows  little,  and  hence  he  is  almost  useless  for  the  school. 
But  as  a  man  and  as  a  Christian,  I  learn  more  and  more  every 
day  to  love  and  esteem  him.  In  all  the  business  of  Andreas, 
he  behaved  towards  us,  as  towards  Lewanika  himself,  with  a 
faithfulness  and  firmness  that  surprised  me.  His  prayers 
always  do  me  good.  I  feared  at  first  he  would  be  a  burden 
to  me  :  I  am  beginning  to  hope  better  things.  The  worst  of  it 
is,  that  he  is  alone.  What  will  he  do  later  on  ?  I  cannot  tell. 
Meanwhile,  with  the  work  of  founding  the  new  station  of 
Lealuyi  on  my  hands,  I  shall  have  the  opportunity  of  making 
use  of  him,  and  learning  what  stuff  he  is  made  of. 

Sefula,  February  \oth,  1892, 

Andreas  has  come  to  spend  a  whole  week  with  us,  which 
has  given  me  the  opportunity  of  having  some  serious  talks  with 
him.  These  talks  have  not  resulted  in  bringing  him  back  to 
my  house — I  no  longer  counted  on  that — but  they  have  con- 
firmed me  in  the  conviction  that  he  too,  poor  boy !  has  been 
the  unconscious  victim  of  plots,  woven  and  carried  out  with 
as  much  skill  as  determination.  His  lack  of  vigilance  is  no 
less  blameworthy  than  his  want  of  frankness,  once  he  found 
himself  caught  in  the  net.  He  arrived  like  a  prodigal  son.  A 
few  moments  later,  he  went  and  installed  himself  in  his  room 


1892]  AN    ATHEISTIC    PROPAGANDA  447 

and  soon  found  himself  quite  naturally  at  home.  He  made  a 
general  inspection  of  the  out-buildings,  cast  a  glance  over  the 
kitchen,  and  presided  as  in  old  days  over  the  general  distribution 
of  food.  Next  day,  he  employed  himself  with  the  buying  of 
our  flour,  maize,  etc.,  which  he  does  much  better  than  I.  His 
modesty,  his  eagerness  in  making  himself  useful,  all  reminded 
me  of  his  best  days.  He  went  away  again  this  afternoon,  with 
the  intention  of  returning  in  a  fortnight  for  two  weeks — if 
Lewanika,  that  is,  will  allow  him.  For,  unhappily,  he  is  no 
longer  free,  and  now  God  alone  can  break  his  bonds  and  restore 
him  to  liberty.  The  object  of  his  visit  was,  in  the  first  place, 
to  see  me,  because  he  had  heard  of  my  sleeplessness,  but  it 
was  also  to  obtain  from  me  the  authorisation  to  do  the  work 
of  an  evangelist  at  Lealuyi.  There  can  be  no  question  of 
giving  him  an  official  status.  But  his  good  mood  reassures  us 
a  little  and  gives  us  pleasure. 

February  I'jth,  1892. 

I  have  just  come  back  from  Lealuyi,  where  I  have  made 
a  longer  stay  than  usual.  Mr.  Buckenham,  of  the  Primitive 
Methodist  Expedition,  had  preceded  me,  in  order  to  give 
Lewanika  the  satisfaction  of  a  private  interview.  But  our 
friend,  not  knowing  a  word  of  Sesuto,  and  only  finding  a  rather 
unsympathetic  interpreter  there,  resolved  to  await  my  arrival 
before  leaving  the  capital.  You  know  there  is  a  man  there,  a 
European,  who  was  once  one  of  ours,  one  in  whom  I  had  reposed 
great  confidence.  Unhappily,  he  was  only  wearing  a  mask,  and 
he  wore  it  admirably.  When  he  cast  it  off— after  having  left  us 
apparently  on  the  best  of  terms — he  took  up  the  position  of 
an  inveterate  adversary  towards  the  mission  in  general  and 
towards  me  in  particular,  both  as  regards  politics  and  religion. 
He  declared  himself  an  infidel  and  an  atheist,  and  set  to  work 
to  preach  his  propaganda  with  a  zeal  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 
The  king  has  already  been  a  long  while  under  his  influence. 
It  is  natural  enough  that  this  man  should  have  used  every 
artifice,  so  as,  if  possible,  to  cause  all  my  plans  of  installation  at 
Lealuyi  to  miscarry.  These  few  words  of  explanation  were 
necessary,  in  order  to  make  you  understand  what  follows. 

Lewanika  received  me  coldly,  and,  contrary  to  his  habits, 
kept   himself  aloof.     The    next   day,  Mr.   Buckenham    begged 


448  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

for  a  fresh  interview,  which  took  place  at  my  house  ;  the  king 
shuffled,  put  all  sorts  of  trifling  questions  to  our  brother,  and 
only  replied  to  his  by  monosyllables.  Finally,  gathering  up  all 
his  courage,  he  said,  "  You  shall  not  go,  either  to  the  Mashuku- 
lumboe  or  to  the  Batoka,  nor  to  any  tributary  clan  ;  but  you 
may  come  and  fix  yourselves  at  Lealuyi  and  Nalolo.  That  is 
my  last  word."  Our  brother  explained  to  him  the  reasons  which 
opposed  such  an  arrangement,  seeing  that  there  were  already 
missionaries,  and  that  I  myself  was  making  preparations  to  fix 
myself  at  Lealuyi,  that  others  were  expected  to  occupy  Nalolo 
and  other  important  places,  and  that,  moreover,  it  was  the  rule^ 
for  the  sake  of  harmony  among  the  Churches,  not  to  encroach 
upon  a  field  of  work  which  another  had  already  occupied.  "  I 
won't  have  that  sort  of  monopoly,"  ^  replied  the  king.  "  Besides, 
the  French  missionaries  have  given  me  all  they  have  to  give, 
and  that  is  nothing.  What  have  I  to  do  with  their  Gospel 
and  their  God  ?  Had  we  not  gods  before  their  arrival  ?  Have 
they  seen  their  God  of  Whom  they  talk  so  much  ?  What  do 
we  want  with  all  that  rubbish  heap  of  fables  that  you  call  the 
Bible  ?  Are  they  any  better  than  ours  ?  What  does  your 
school  do  for  us  ?  For  you,  it  is  the  trade  you  live  by ;  for 
us,  it  is  a  purposeless  and  unprofitable  folly.  What  /  want  is 
missionaries  of  all  kinds,  working  side  by  side  here,  at  Lealuyi 
and  Nalolo,  especially  missionaries  who  build  big  workshops 
and  teach  us  all  the  trades  of  the  white  men.  What  can  /  do 
with  Christians  who  only  know  how  to  read  and  write  and  pray 
to  the  God  of  the  white  men  ?  What  /  want  is  carpenters, 
blacksmiths,  armourers,  masons,  and  so  on.  That's  what  /  want, 
industrial  missionaries  ;  that  is  what  all  the  chiefs  want :  we 
laugh  at  all  the  rest."  Lewanika  had  laid  aside  all  reserve,  and 
thought  himself  very  valiant.  So  it  was  no  longer  only  the  cause 
of  our  Methodist  brethren  that  was  at  stake,  but  ours  also  ;  and 
he  knew  I  had  come  to  make  definite  arrangements  for  my 
installation  at  Lealuyi !  I  answered  him  calmly  ;  but  as  he  had 
made  up  his  mind  beforehand,  my  arguments  seemed  to  produce 
very  little  impression.    He  left  us  abruptly,  and  appeared  no  more. 

'  As  a  missionary  has  pointed  out,  the  native  chiefs  quickly  learn  the  lesson 
that  competition  cheapens  everything,  and  encourage  missionaries  of  different 
hostile  denominations  to  settle  near  them,  hoping  thereby  to  obtain  salvation 
on  easier  terms. 


1S92]  A    THUNDERSTORM  449 

The  Sunday  morning,  next  day,  I  sent  him  a  message  for 
the  service,  to  which,  if  I  understood  it  rightly,  he  repHed 
ironically.  Without  letting  this  discourage  me,  I  rang  the  bell, 
and  we  went  with  our  young  men  to  the  lekJiotJila.  Not  a  soul  ! 
We  began  to  sing,  and  some  men  came  up  one  by  one,  so  that 
when  I  began  to  preach  I  had  about  fifty  auditors.  I  introduced 
the  evangelist  Paulus  to  them,  who  spoke  warmly  and  modestly  ; 
then  Mr.  Buckenham  delivered  an  address  full  of  point  and  good 
sense.  I  was  pleased  to  sec  the  Gambella  present,  with  his 
wives  and  some  of  the  principal  chiefs.  It  was  a  good  service, 
and  we  felt  God's  presence  there.  The  men  stayed  long  after 
us  at  the  kkhot/ila,  to  talk  with  Andreas  and  our  other  young 
men  about  the  great  question  of  the  day.  The  afternoon  service 
was  more  numerously  attended,  and  not  less  helpful.  Lewanika 
did  not  leave  his  house  all  day. 

What  was  not  my  astonishment  in  the  evening  to  see  one 
of  his  attendants,  who  brought  me  a  message  from  him  :  "  The 
king  enquires  after  your  health,  and  asks  if  he  can  come  and 
dine  with  you." 

"  Tell  him  I  am  not  well,  but  that  there  is  nothing  much 
the  matter  with  me  ;  and  as  to  the  dinner,  I  have  only  a  cup 
of  tea  and  a  bit  of  dry  bread.  If  Lewanika  wishes  to  share 
them  with  me,  he  is  welcome,  as  he  always  is." 

Soon  after,  a  succession  of  noisy  hand-clappings  from  the 
king's  house  to  my  own  announced  the  procession  of  servants, 
carrying  the  food  and  the  royal  dishes.  He  himself  did  not 
keep  us  long  waiting ;  he  arrived  quite  beaming,  all  honey, 
making  laudable  efforts  to  enliven  the  conversation.  The  meal 
finished,  the  dishes  were  handed  to  Paulus  and  Andreas,  which 
is  not  at  all  customary,  and  from  them  the  remains  passed  to 
our  other  boys.  The  king  shouted  to  them  from  within  the 
house,  "It  is  not  I  who  am  feeding  you  ;  it  is  your  father  the 
Moniti ;  it  is  his  own  food,  you  understand."  The  table  was 
scarcely  cleared  when  a  tremendous  clap  of  thunder  resounded, 
which  almost  threw  us  to  the  ground.  This  first  clap  was 
followed  by  a  second  one,  then  by  a  torrent  of  rain.  I  was 
telling  Lewanika  some  features  of  Nero's  history,  when  suddenly 
the  reed  door  opened,  and  a  mass  of  people  pressed  in.  Litia, 
the  Gambella,  and  the  principal  chiefs  at  their  head,  unceremoni- 
ously made  an  irruption  into  our  midst,  obliging  us  to  retire  to 

29 


450  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

the  back  of  the  hut,  and  filling  the  house,  the  wide  concentric 
corridor,  the  external  verandah,  and  I  believe  the  courtyard 
itself,  all  packed  like  herrings.  "  Ah !  ah ! "  cried  the  king, 
"  there  they  are — there  are  our  people ;  I  knew  it — there  they 
are  !  "  My  astonishment  evidently  amused  him.  I  understood 
absolutely  nothing  of  all  this.  Silence  having  been  obtained 
once  more,  he  explained  to  me  that  this  was  one  of  the  Barotsi 
customs.  When  there  is  a  storm,  and  it  thunders,  all  the  men 
related  to  him,  and  all  the  chiefs  who  are  at  the  capital,  run 
to  him,  into  the  very  room,  wherever  he  may  be,  so  as  to  die 
with  him,  if  the  lightning  should  kill  him.  This  evening,  they 
knew  he  was  with  me. 

This  brought  back  to  me  a  recollection  of  my  childhood. 
How  many  times  in  the  middle  of  the  night  have  I  not  seen 
our  neighbours,  Catholic  and  Protestant,  rushing  in  to  my 
mother ?  " Mon petit"  my  mother  would  say,  "  read  us  a  psalm 
and  a  prayer  ! "  Then,  when  the  storm  had  passed  over,  each 
one  would  thank  my  dear  mother  and  "  le  petitl'  and  return 
home  with  the  sense  of  a  great  deliverance.  This  recollection 
inspired  me.  We  sang  hymn  after  hymn,  Lewanika  and  our 
other  habitues  choosing  ;  then  came  the  reading  of  two  or 
three  verses,  a  few  short  words,  a  prayer,  which  was  heard  in 
profoundest  silence ;  and  this  singular  audience,  which  had  fled 
the  day,  and  which  God  brought  me  at  night,  dispersed  quite 
astonished,  with  clacking  of  tongues. 

Lewanika  himself  having  made  advances  to  me,  our  relations 
resumed  their  ordinary  course.  We  had  all  our  meals  together, 
and  we  spent  long  hours  in  each  other's  company.  However, 
it  was  in  vain  I  pleaded  the  cause  of  our  Methodist  brethren  and 
the  Mashukulumboe  Mission  ;  he  would  not  hear  of  it.  So  they 
have  no  other  alternative  but  to  settle  down  beside  us,  and 
enter  into  competition  with  us — which  they  will  never  do — or 
else  to  cross  Lewanika's  frontiers,  and  seek  a  field  of  labour 
beyond.  I  strongly  advise  this,  and  I  think  they  would  not 
be  losing  their  time  if  they  went  to  explore  the  region  which 
extends  north  of  the  Zambesi  between  the  Kafue  and  Zumbo. 
If  I  were  at  the  head  of  this  expedition,  and  knew  Lewanika 
as  I  do  know  him,  I  could  not  resign  myself  to  give  up  the 
project  of  a  mission  to  the  Mashukulumboe.  Lewanika  will  end 
by  yielding.     But  that  is   not  a  sufficient  basis   for    others    to 


1892]  A    PITSO  451 

build  upon  it,  especially  after  so  many  reverses.  It  is  difficult 
to  make  others  share  one's  own  faith,  especially  those  who  arc 
supporting  you  and  expecting  success.  Mr.  Buckenham  con- 
sequently left  me  to  my  own  affairs  at  Lealuyi,  and  returned 
thence  to  Scfula. 

In  our  subsequent  interviews,  Lewanika  quite  recognised 
that,  in  the  scene  to  which  I  allude,  he  had  insulted  me,  and 
he  excused  himself  as  best  he  could.  He  said  he  was  harassed 
with  anxieties,  which  was  natural  enough  ;  he  protested  his  old 
and  warm  friendship  for  me,  and  assured  me  that  my  tirnsfer 
to  the  capital  was  in  no  way  questioned  by  him,  but  that  the 
chiefs  were  animated  by  quite  other  feelings.  They  had  heard 
so  much  of  missionaries  who,  instead  of  preaching  the  Gospel, 
taught  all  sorts  of  trades,  that  they  said  openly  those  were  the 
missionaries  they  wanted  here.  "  You  shall  hear  them  yourself," 
he  added  ;  "  I  will  call  them  all  to  the />/iso  to-morrow  to  discuss 
these  affairs." 

He  kept  his  word,  and  the  pifso  took  place.  I  greatly 
feared  it  was  a  preconcerted  affair  ;  and  I  was  not  reassured — 
far  from  it.  Beforehand  I  assembled  my  young  men,  and  we 
made  it  a  subject  of  earnest  prayer.  The  pi'/so  lasted  two 
hours.  It  was,  as  usual,  a  running  fire  of  little  speeches,  of 
which  I  took  careful  notes.  I  expected  keen  opposition  ;  but, 
to  my  great  surprise,  all  without  exception  spoke  of  me  and 
my  plans  in  the  most  favourable  and  sympathetic  terms. 
"  Gambella,  you  bring  us  good  tidings,  when  you  tell  us  that 
the  Morud,  our  father,  will  at  last  come  to  live  near  us.  We 
have  long  desired  it.  It  is  difficult  for  us  to  send  our  children 
to  Sefula — it  is  too  far — and  they  often  want  for  food.  Here 
we  can  send  them  to  school  regularly,  and  go  ourselves  to  the 
preaching  on  Sundays.  His  life  is  dreary  out  in  the  woods  : 
he  is  a  Morotsj,  he  loves  the  plain  "  {borotsi\  "  and  he  seeks  the 
society  of  other  Barotsi.  If  we  did  not  love  him,  should  we 
have  built  him  a  house  here,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  town  ?  Let 
him  come :  this  is  his  home.  We  shall  rejoice  in  it  and  say, 
Thank  you."  "  We  have  seen  strange  things,"  cried  a  great 
chief:  "foreigners  closeted  with  our  king,  overrunning  our 
vialapa  "  (courts),  "  taking  our  wives  and  children  into  their  con- 
fidence. We  heard  them  speaking  of  mines,  of  trades,  and  of 
presents,  without  our  being  told  what  it  was  all  about.     And 


452  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

we  asked  ourselves,  '  Whither  are  we  drifting?  Are  we  at  the 
mercy  of  foreigners  ?  '  To-day  our  father  comes  amongst  us  ; 
all  these  plots  will  end.  He  is  a  Morotsi,  and  his  home  is 
here."  This  was  the  gist  of  all  the  speeches.  Lewanika  had 
not  dared  to  be  present.  In  his  absence,  Litia  spoke  last,  repre- 
senting a  new  element  in  the  nation.  He  spoke  well  and  to 
the  point,  and  even  with  an  authority  and  boldness  which 
astonished  me.  He  reproached  the  Barotsi  with  their  want 
of  sincerity,  and  even  with  their  servility.  He  dared  to  say 
to  them,  "  You  come  to  worship  when  the  king  comes  ;  but 
when  he  does  not  come,  why  do  you  keep  away  ?  Is  it  to  him 
you  pray  ?     Is  Jie  your  god  ?  " 

Lewanika,  being  officially  informed  of  the  result  of  this/Z/jc, 
expressed  his  great  satisfaction  thereat,  and  seemed  to  rejoice 
in  it.  He  promised  me  canoes  for  the  transport  of  the  materials 
which  we  are  preparing  at  Sefula,  and  undertook,  if  I  needed 
it,  to  procure  workmen  for  me,  and  wood  for  the  constructions, 
at  wages  to  be  settled  between  us. 

And  now,  dear  friends,  we  are  in  the  presence  of  grave 
questions,  and  questions  which  are  difficult  for  us  to  solve.  The 
Jeanmairets'  growing  conviction  is  that  they  will  not  come  back 
to  Barotsi-land.  There  is  Sefula,  too,  which  my  departure  will 
leave  vacant,  and  which  must  at  all  costs  be  filled  up  without 
delay.  We  ourselves  have  but  one  lifetime  ;  we  cannot  give  more. 
It  is  for  you  in  Europe  to  act  promptly  and  energetically,  if  you 
would  save  the  mission.  Remember  we  are  no  longer  living 
in  the  old  days,  when  everything  went  at  the  slow  and  measured 
pace  of  the  oxen.  We  live  in  times  of  upheaval,  of  sudden 
transformations,  and  of  crisis.  Oh,  let  us  rise  to  our  responsi- 
bilities while  the  helm  is  yet  in  our  hands  ! 


> 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

Rays  of  Comfort — Disappearance  of  "Alexander  the  Coppersmith  "—Degrad- 
ing Superstition— The  Primitive  IV'Iethodists— Sympathy— A  Reminiscence 
of  Mme.  Coillard— The  Joy  of  Pentecost — "  Enquirers  "—Ten  men 
wanted. 

Sefula,  April  2^ih,  1892. 

I  HAVE  been  deeply  touched  by  all  the  expressions  of 
sympathy  I  have  received  in  such  large  numbers.  Let 
these  dear  friends  know  that  they  have  done  me  much  real 
good.  I  feel  myself  less  alone  in  this  solitude,  to  which  I  cannot 
get  used.  And  then,  you  know,  a  fresh  crop  of  griefs  and  trials 
has  come  upon  me,  which  has  filled  up  the  measure  of  my  bitter- 
ness. Sometimes  it  seemed  that  I  could  bear  no  more  of  these 
sufferings  and  distresses  :  and  yet  the  cup  was  not  full ;  it  must 
needs  run  over.  But  Jesus  does  not  forget  His  own  :  "  In  all 
their  affliction  He  is  afflicted."  He  remembers  His  promise, 
and  His  presence  becomes  so  much  the  more  precious  a  reality 
when  darkness  thickens  and  sorrow  deepens. 

Our  life  here  is  pursuing  its  usual  tenor.  Mile.  Kiencr 
and  Mr.  Waddell  surround  me  with  care  and  affection.  But 
you  can  understand  the  great,  great  place  is  always  empty. 
The  number  of  boys  living  with  us  has  increased,  and  a  spirit 
prevails  among  them  which  makes  us  hope  for  some  real  con- 
versions. Our  audiences,  too,  are  increasing.  Two  or  three 
women  are,  I  believe,  very  near  the  kingdom  of  God.  But  I 
only  speak  of  it  tremblingly,  so  great  and  bitter  have  our 
disappointments  been  already.  In  a  few  days,  we  shall  celebrate 
the  marriage  of  our  girl  Sebane  with  Franz,  our  conductor,  who 
has  returned  from  Mangwato.  What  a  joy  it  would  have  been 
for  my  wife,  after  the  tears  she  shed  over  the  others ! 

It  has  lately  pleased  God  to  strengthen  our  faith  by  answering 

453 


454  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

our  prayers  in  a  very  remarkable  way.  A  visit  I  had  to  make 
to  the  capital  was  particularly  weighing  on  me.  I  expected  fresh 
battles  with  the  king,  and  sometimes  I  confess  I  feel  tired  of 
the  struggle.  We  had  asked  God  in  special  prayer  meetings 
to  restore  to  us  the  king's  confidence  and  affection,  smooth 
over  all  the  continually  recurring  difficulties  of  my  establish- 
ment at  Lealuyi,  and  to  "  deliver  us  from  these  unreasonable 
and  wicked  men  "  (2  Thess.  iii.  2)  who  hinder  His  work  so 
seriously.  Well,  without  my  knowing  it,  the  most  inveterate 
enemy  of  our  mission  had  quarrelled  with  the  king ;  he 
reproached  him  with  his  ingratitude,  and  with  the  neglect  and 
privation  in  which  he  had  for  some  time  left  him.  Especially 
he  could  not  forgive  him  for  despising  and  refusing  to  follow 
his  advice  and  drive  us  out  of  the  country — that  is,  M.  L.  Jalla 
and  me,  whom  he  represented  as  men  who  had  sold  them- 
selves to  the  gold-seekers,  on  account  of  the  part  I  took  in 
the  transactions  between  Lewanika  and  the  B.  S.  A.  Chartered 
Company,  and  also  because  of  the  fact  that  M.  Jalla  had 
wished  to  accompany  Dr.  Johnston  across  the  Batoka  country. 
Lewanika,  weary  of  all  these  calumnies,  ended  by  thinking  that, 
after  all,  we  who  kept  silent  might  very  likely  be  his  best 
friends  ;  and  he  made  advances  to  his  missionary,  whom  he 
ound  just  the  same  as  before.  The  trader  was  so  incensed, 
that  one  day  while  I  was  there  he  left  Lealuyi  after  the  stormiest 
of  scenes,  having  with  great  difficulty  obtained  a  canoe  from  the 
king  to  descend  the  river  and  clear  out  of  the  country. 

Lewanika  presented  me  with  a  canoe,  which  he  had  promised 
me  for  two  years  ;  he  changed  it  three  times  for  me,  so  as  to 
be  sure  of  giving  me  something  which  should  really  please  me. 
Yesterday,  telling  me  that  illness  prevented  his  coming  to  visit 
me  at  Sefula,  he  let  me  know  that  the  little  hillock  which  we 
had  chosen  to  construct  our  future  station  upon  was  now  com- 
pletely submerged.  But  he  proposes  another  larger  one  for  me, 
two  or  three  feet  higher,  which  has  been  used  as  a  cemetery  for 
the  petty  chiefs  of  Lealuyi.  These  are  the  floating  straws  we 
catch  at.  What  can  wc  do  ?  We  are  dwarfs  in  faith,  and  little 
suffices  to  encourage  us  from  the  moment  we  can  see  God's 
hand  in  it.  Moreover,  it  is  only  lately  that  the  king,  of  his  own 
accord,  has  sent  back  his  sons  and  daughters  to  school.  All 
tlie  big  ones  have  followed   Andreas  and  Litia,  and  have  left. 


i892]  CRUEL    SUPERSTITION  455 

That  is  an  advantage.  However,  the  number  of  pupils,  which 
tends  to  augment,  ahxady  stands  at  forty. 

At  my  last  visit  to  Lealuyi,  I  found  the  whole  village  upset 
on  account  of  one  man  and  woman.  According  to  the  Barotsi 
custom,  the  woman,  in  consequence  of  an  abortion,  should  have 
been  secluded  outside  the  village  in  a  wretched  little  hut,  while 
her  husband  should  have  been  confined  to  his  courtyard  without 
seeing  anybody,  without  even  daring  to  go  and  see  his  own  cattle 
or  visit  his  field  until  the  appearance  of  a  new  moon,  for  fear 
he  should  spread  the  scourge  of  which  he  had  himself  been  the 
victim.  As  it  was  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  new  moon,  the 
woman  and  her  husband  did  not  take  kindly  to  the  idea  of 
such  a  lengthy  quarantine,  and  they  concealed  the  occurrence. 
Twenty-four  hours  had  not  elapsed  before  the  report  went  round. 
And  this  man  was  one  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  king's 
establishment,  a  sekoniboa — a  man  of  some  forty-five  or  fifty 
years  of  age,  a  favourite  with  his  master,  and  universally 
respected.  But  it  availed  him  nothing.  His  peers,  the  other 
likofiiboa,  fell  upon  him,  carried  him  off,  tightly  bound,  to  the 
river,  tore  out  his  hair  with  their  formidable  nails  ;  then  seizing 
him,  they  throttled  him  under  water  until  he  was  nearly  dead, 
beat  him  with  rods  to  bring  him  back  to  his  senses,  and  left  him 
on  the  bank  in  torrents  of  rain.  It  was  not  difficult  to  show 
Lewanika  the  cruelty  of  such  proceedings,  and  the  next  day  the 
poor  unfortunate  returned  home  under  cover  of  the  night.  I 
went  to  see  him,  but  I  could  scarcely  persuade  him  to  come  out 
of  his  hut  into  the  court,  he  felt  so  deeply  humiliated.  The 
paganism  of  the  Barotsi  is  coarse  and  cruel.  It  tramples  on  all 
rank,  all  dignity,  all  respect ;  nothing  awes  it. 

We  have  the  mission  party  of  the  Primitive  Methodists  here, 
and  we  enjoy  their  neighbourhood.  We  see  each  other  every 
day,  either  at  our  meetings  for  prayer  and  edification,  or  at  our 
singing  evenings.  The  king  has  flatly  refused  to  let  them 
establish  themselves  either  with  the  Mashukulumboc  or  with 
the  Batoka,  or  elsewhere  in  his  country.  But  the  influences  to 
which  he  was  then  subject  have  had  their  day  ;  and  if  our  friends 
have  faith  in  their  vocation,  and  have  patience,  I  still  think  God 
will  open  to  them  the  door  of  Mashukulumboe-land. 

My  saw-mill  is  in  full  activity.  Mr.  Waddell  is  preparing 
materials  for  the  construction  of  our  tabernacle  at  Lealuyi.     It 


456  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

will  be  a  copy  of  the  one  here,  but  a  little  larger.  And  as  soon  as 
the  waters  have  subsided — the  flood  is  a  whole  month  late  this 
year — we  shall  begin  the  transport  of  all  this  material,  and  build. 
But  it  is  easier  said  than  done.  We  are  in  extreme  perplexity. 
Under  actual  circumstances,  there  is  no  one  but  M.  Louis  Jalla 
who  can  take  my  place  here.  When  I  leave  Sefula,  the  greater 
part  of  the  school  will  follow  me  to  Lealuyi  ?  Who  will 
conduct  that  school  at  Lealuyi  ?  Paulus,  a  widower  like  me, 
will  certainly  second  me  as  far  as  he  can.  He  is  an  earnest 
Christian  and  a  zealous  evangelist,  but  nothing  at  all  as  a 
schoolmaster.  And  as  for  myself,  I  no  longer  feel  equal  to  the 
sole  charge  of  so  heavy  a  task.  I  have  no  longer  the  spirit  and 
spring  necessary  for  that ;  and  if  I  am  to  do  the  work  of  a  good 
evangelist  at  the  capital,  I  shall  not  have  the  time  either.  And 
the  other  posts,  who  will  occupy  them  ?  The  Jeanmairets  have 
finally  announced  that  they  are  no  longer  with  us.  And  over  all 
that — the  pall  of  a  deficit.  May  God  help  us  !  And  you,  too, 
dear  friends,  help  us  while  it  is  yet  time.  Do  not  wait  till  it  is 
too  late. 

I  must  stop,  but  not  without  telling  you  again  how  touched 
I  have  been  by  the  prompt  way  in  which  friends  have  supplied 
me  with  a  new  mount.  It  is  not  a  mere  luxury,  I  assure  you. 
My  worthy  friend  Khama  has  sent  me  word  that  he  is  making 
it  his  business  to  look  out  a  good  one  for  me,  though  good 
horses,  salted  ones  (that  is,  those  whom  the  horse  sickness  has 
already  inoculated)  are  rare  and  dear.  But  He  Who  has  furnished 
the  means  to  buy  one  will  also  find  us  the  beast. 

(To  Mme.  Boegner,  at  the  Maison  des  Missions,  Paris.) 

May  \2th,  1892. 
In  spite  of  the  effort  it  costs  me  to  write,  I  must  thank  you 
for  your  kind  and  affectionate  lines.  We  lived  more  at  the 
Maison  des  Missions  than  you  might  think.  .  .  .  And  when  I 
say  we^  it  is  of  Jiey  I  speak.  We  were  only  one  in  everything. 
You  judge  rightly  of  our  union,  when  you  say  it  was  one  of  the 
most  psrfect  it  can  be  given  to  enjoy  on  earth.  Oh,  how  I 
look  back  on  those  thirty  years  of  pilgrimage  with  her !  .  .  .  No 
one  will  ever  know  what  she  was  to  the  work  of  God,  and 
what   she  was  to  me  as  a  missionary.     You    know  her  tastes. 


1892]  CROSSING    THE    CALEDON  457 

She  loved  society,  and  she  loved  her  home.  She  enjoyed  her 
visit  to  Europe  immensely.  Like  the  bee,  she  took  her  honey 
from  every  flower.  In  her  extraordinary  memory,  nothing 
was  forgotten,  nothing  was  obliterated.  And  friends  with  whom 
we  had  made  but  a  very  short  stay  would  be  very  much 
astonished  to  learn  what  a  large  place  they  occupied  in  her 
remembrances.  She  was  my  index.  And  the  home  life  !  Not 
any  more  than  I,  indeed  far  less  than  I,  had  she  roving  tastes. 
But  when  the  call  of  God  made  itself  clearly  heard,  immediately, 
without  hesitation,  without  consulting  with  flesh  and  blood,  she 
sacrificed  everything,  left  everything,  even  her  dear  Lerib6,  and 
did  it  cheerfully. 

In  the  midst  of  all  the  storms  which  raged  during  the  last 
two  years  of  her  life,  she  always  said,  with  feeling,  that  God  had 
given  her  a  great  blessing  and  a  great  joy.  The  great  blessing 
was  Mile.  Kiener,  the  great  joy  was  my  presence  at  home.  I  did 
not  make  a  long  absence  last  year.  I  was  at  home  for  the  first 
time  for  several  years  on  my  birthday.  And  what  a  festival 
she  prepared  !  She  felt  it  was  the  last  time  she  would  be  with 
me  for  that  occasion.  It  reminds  me  of  one  of  the  first  anni- 
versaries of  our  wedding  at  Leribe.  We  had  had  to  be  separated 
for  some  weeks  previously — she  to  go  to  Harrysmith  in  a  waggon, 
to  fetch  wood  for  building  purposes,  and  myself  to  ride  round 
among  the  Churches  on  a  special  mission.  But  we  had  appointed 
to  meet  each  other  at  Leribe  on  February  26th.  All  the  rivers 
were  swelled.  In  spite  of  many  difficulties  and  adventures,  I 
was  faithful  to  the  tryst.  She  would  have  been  there  too.  But 
the  Caledon  was  in  full  flood.  The  waggon  was  there  on  the 
banks,  and  the  clouds  continually  gathering.  I  took  a  great 
resolve.  The  chief  Molapo  chose  six  or  eight  persons,  well  known 
to  be  good  swimmers  ;  and  with  a  troop  of  young  men,  under 
the  direction  of  Nathanael  Makotoko,  I  went  to  the  Caledon. 
The  parleying  did  not  take  long.  She  put  on  a  woollen  dress, 
descended  to  the  overflowing  river,  and  calmly  yielded  herself 
to  two  vigorous  Zulus,  who  held  her  up  under  the  armpits. 
Zulus  were  swimming  before  and  behind  her,  all  the  young  men 
of  the  village,  up  and  down  the  river,  in  the  most  perfect  order, 
and  the  whole  procession  struggled  in  deepest  silence  against 
the  rapid  current.  One  could  only  see  her  shoulders  above  the 
stream.     To  say  what  I  went  through  during  this  crossing  would 


45  8  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

be  impossible.  I  thought  of  Christiana  crossing  the  Jordan.  .  .  . 
Once  arrived  at  the  bank,  I  received  her :  all  our  men  and  our 
people  disappeared.  She  put  on  her  riding  habit,  and  a  few 
seconds  later  the  joyous  and  noisy  cavalcade  arrived  at  our 
little  hut,   seven   feet  square,   and  built  of  turfs. 

Now  she  has  crossed  the  Great  Jordan.  I  accompanied  her 
to  the  shore  :  I  could  go  no  farther.  The  palace  of  glory  has 
opened  its  doors  to  her,  and  I  had  a  glimpse  of  the  splendour 
that  shone  out.  But  they  have  closed  again.  Soon  they  will 
reopen,  and  I  shall  rejoin  her.  No  more  separations  then — 
no  more  bereavement.  "He  will  wipe  away  all  tears  from  our 
eyes." 

Sefula, /?^«(?  30M,   1892. 

All  your  letters  are  here  before  me.  They  come  from 
almost  everywhere,  echoing  a  universal  sympathy.  During  ten 
days,  every  evening  after  supper  and  family  worship,  you  might 
have  seen  me  in  my  study,  alone  with  you,  and  up  to  a  late  hour, 
drinking  deep  of  the  overflowing  cup  of  your  consolations. 
Which  of  us  would  dare  to  doubt  the  communion  of  saints  and 
the  real  unity  of  the  Body  of  Christ  ?  I  would  not  have  been 
without  one  of  your  letters,  for  each  has  its  own  drop  to  sweeten 
the  bitterness  of  my  cup.  Each,  too,  brings  its  own  jewel,  which 
I  in  turn  lay  at  the  feet  of  my  blessed  Master,  as  a  tribute 
worthy  of  Himself  alone. 

You  have  understood  that  I  am  a  poor  suffering  human 
being,  who  may  be  depressed  and  discouraged.  On  the  field 
of  battle,  in  the  midst  of  the  conflict,  surely  it  is  not  unworthy 
of  a  soldier  to  give  a  thought  and  a  tear  to  that  comrade  who 
falls  at  his  side  !  Jesus  wept.  But  the  warrior  must  not  falter  ; 
the  fight  must  not  relax. 

You  appreciated  her  whom  I  mourn.  She  was  not  demon- 
strative ;  she  had  a  horror  of  everything  that  approached  the 
theatrical  and  aimed  at  effect.  But  once  she  had  opened  her 
heart  and  given  her  confidence,  it  was  for  ever.  "  You  are  a 
rich  man,"  wrote  one  friend.  Rich  ? — when,  in  losing  her,  I  have 
lost  my  all  ?  And  yet  it  is  true.  "  He  became  poor,  that  I  through 
His  poverty  might  become  rich  " — even  in  this  world.  In  Jesus, 
I  have  found  everything.  With  His  kingdom,  He  has  given 
me  everything.     Because  He  has  taken  it  to  adorn  His  palaces, 


1892]  ENQUIRERS  459 

He  has  not  therefore  bereft  me  for  ever  of  the  treasure  that  came 
to  me  from  Him.  No  !  But  her  departure  has  revealed  in  the 
hearts  of  God's  children,  in  almost  every  country  of  Europe, 
an  inexhaustible  mine  of  prayer,  faith,  love,  sacrifices,  and 
blessings,  which  are  an  inestimable  security  for  our  dear  Barotsi 
Mission.  "  It  is  impossible,"  writes  a  friend,  "  that  you  should 
not  have  your  part  in  the  joy  of  Easter.  Here  below.  Tabor 
cannot  last  for  ever.  But  Jesus  has  said,  '  Ye  shall  rejoice, 
and  your  joy  no  man  taketh  from  you.'  The  joy  of  Pentecost 
has  always  lasted.  Has  not  the  Lord  been  faithful?"  Yes 
indeed  :  the  joy  of  Easter  and  the  joy  of  Pentecost.  Let  us 
not  live  absorbed  in  the  past,  nor  yet  bemoaning  ourselves 
in  the  present ;  but  let  us  rather  work  while  it  is  day,  in  view 
of  eternity.  David  said,  and  he  had  excellent  reasons  for 
saying,  "  It  is  good  for  me  to  have  been  afflicted."  There  are 
blessings  which  we  can  only  receive  through  that  channel ;  there 
are  great  lessons  we  can  learn  only  in  the  school  of  the  Man 
of  Sorrows. 

I  am  told  that  our  bereavement  has  been  blessed  to  some 
souls  in  Europe.  I  believe  it  has  been  so  even  here.  She 
often  repeated,  "  II  a  compte  mes  alli^es  et  mes  venues — my 
wanderings" '^  \  and  I  would  add,  "Her  tears  are  in  His  book," 
and  her  prayers.  The  little  movement  which  rejoiced  her  last 
looks  on  earth  has  not,  it  is  true,  produced  all  that  we  expected 
from  it.  Still,  there  is  a  small  number  of  persons  who  seek  the 
Lord,  and  some  who  even  profess  to  have  found  Him.  I  have 
gathered  up  those  who  inspire  me  with  most  confidence  into 
a  class  of  enquirers,  as  the  English  would  say — not  yet  a  class 
of  catechumens — and  to  these  I  give  special  instruction.  At 
the  outside,  they  number  ten  or  eleven,  counting  Litia  and  his 
wife.  Besides  some  young  men  who  live  with  us  as  pupils  or 
as  workmen,  there  are  among  them  three  women  from  a  neigh- 
bouring village,  for  whom  we  have  prayed  for  more  than  two 
years.  They  are  a  joy  to  us.  Besides  our  private  prayer  mcct- 
iuQ-s,  where  we  do  indeed  feel  that  our  Methodist  brethren  arc  a 
strength  to  us,  we  have  had  to  begin  a  meeting  of  this  kind 
on  Wednesday  mornings.  Very  few  come  to  it  each  time 
outside  our  little  group  of  regular  attendants  ;  but  it  is  a  means 
of  drawing  intimately  together,  and  a  great  interest  to  us. 

'  P?.  hi.  8. 


460  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

But  we  wish  to  accomplish  a  real  work  :  on  the  One 
Foundation  we  would  not  build  wood  and  straw,  but  silver, 
gold,  and,  if  possible,  precious  stones.  And  these  conversions, 
while  encouraging  me,  because  I  cannot  entirely  fail  to  recognise 
the  action  of  the  Holy  Spirit  therein,  do  not  give  me  full  satis- 
faction. The  leaves  of  repentance  are  certainly  there,  so  the 
tree  must  have  life  ;  but  I  would  like  to  find  more  fruit.  The 
notion  of  sin  is  feeble  among  our  Zambcsians.  I  should  like 
to  see  sinners  stricken  down  like  Paul  on  the  road  to  Damascus, 
and  agonised  souls  who  cannot  contain  the  cry,  "  What  must  I 
do  to  be  saved  ? "  It  seems  to  me  that  these  poor  heathen 
must  necessarily  pass  by  Sinai  before  coming  to  Calvary.  God 
forbid  that  I  should  "  limit  the  Almighty  " !  He  can  open  the 
heart  of  Lydia  as  well  as  strike  down  the  Philippian  gaoler. 
Such  examples  are  not  rare  in  Europe,  especially  among  those 
who  have  grown  up  in  a  Christian  atmosphere.  But  I  am 
speaking  of  poor  pagans  who  have  been  sitting  in  the  darkness 
of  superstition  and  in  the  mire  of  sin.  I  have  a  dread  of  those 
professions  in  which  the  joy  of  salvation  shines  at  the  same 
moment  as  the  sorrow  of  repentance — of  those  Israelites  who 
have  certainly  fled  from  Egypt,  and  even  passed  the  Red  Sea, 
but  who  die  in  the  desert,  without  reaching  the  Promised  Land — 
of  those  believers  who  have  never  known  what  the  Holy  Spirit  is. 
And  the  number  of  them  is  great,  elsewhere  besides  in  Africa. 
The  example  of  my  dear  Andreas  prevents  me  from  rejoicing 
without  fear.  While  preserving  his  profession,  he  has  not 
prospered  spiritually  since  he  left  us,  and  the  world  is  beguiling 
him.  I  ask  you  most  earnestly  to  join  your  prayers  with  ours 
that  the  Lord  may  bring  him  victoriously  through  the  crisis, 
which  will  decide  his  whole  life,  and  deliver  him  from  the  terrible 
snares  set  for  him.  There  is  indeed  a  question  of  giving  him 
to  the  king's  eldest  daughter  as  an  official  husband. 

Finally,  you  know  that  for  two  years  especially  we  have 
had  dark  days  and  times  of  great  difficulty.  These  burdens 
you  cannot  share,  nor  help  us  to  carry  them,  except  by  sympathy 
and  prayer ;  and  that  you  have  done.  We  have  felt  it.  The 
situation  has  considerably  improved  in  every  respect :  passions 
have  cooled  down  ;  the  king  is  undeceived,  he  has  recognised 
his  best  friends,  and  has  drawn  towards  us  again.  Little  by 
little  our  relatif>nships  are  returning  to  their  former  footing  ;  it 


1892]  AN    APPEAL  461 

is  again  the  era  oi''  Ntate  ea  rategang''  ("Beloved  father),"  as 
we  say  here,  because  it  is  the  term  Lewanika  uses  in  the  notes 
he  addresses  to  me,  when  he  is  in  a  good  humour.  With  the 
chiefs  of  the  Valley,  we  always  have  excellent  relations  ;  for 
the  king,  in  all  these  affairs,  has  a  party  of  his  own.  It  is 
with  the  chiefs  of  Sesheke  more  especially  that  wc  have  lost 
ground.  For  a  moment,  wc  believed  that  our  dear  mission  was 
within  an  ace  of  ruin.  God  has  mercifully  saved  us  and 
delivered  us,  in  answer  to  your  prayers  and  ours. 

But  workers  are  lacking.  Shall  we  content  ourselves  with 
the  glory  of  seizing  and  occupying  a  field  which  others  envy  us, 
and  which  we  have  neither  the  strength  nor  the  faith  to  culti- 
vate ?  No,  no ;  I  am  insulting  the  zeal  that  upholds  us,  and 
which  is  about  to  attack  the  regions  of  the  French  Congo.  I 
appeal  to  France,  to  Switzerland,  to  Italy  ;  I  appeal  also  to  that 
very  interesting  Church  of  Belgium,  because  it  is  said  to  be  a 
viissionary  Church.  Beloved  brethren,  send  us  reinforcements ! 
Christian  young  men,  come  to  our  help  !  Fathers,  mothers, 
who  pray  every  day,  "  Thy  kingdom  come,"  place,  oh !  place 
your  Isaacs  on  His  altar,  consecrate  your  Samuels  to  Him. 
Give  us  ten  choice  men — ten  men  chosen  and  called  by  God — ten 
men  whose  faith  does  not  rest  upon  the  shifting  sand  of  modern 
criticism,  but  upon  the  Rock  of  r^^cs— Jesus,  delivered  for  our 
offences,  and  raised  again  for  our  justification.  It  is  a  real 
warfare — let  us  be  under  no  illusions  as  to  that  ;  but  its  object 
is  glorious,  and  the  victory  is  certain.  Rather  die  than  desert 
the  post,  one  of  the  outposts  of  the  conquering  army  of  the 
King  of  kings.  We  are  mounting  to  assault  the  fortress  ; 
we  shall  hold  out  at  the  breach  ;  there  we  shall  plant  the 
standard  of  the  Cross.  A  handful  of  soldiers — ten  )iu)i  of 
Stephen's  type — and  the  day  is  ours ! 

With  men,  funds  are  needed.  The  men  will  come,  since 
one  is  already  announced.  Thank  God  !  help  is  at  hand.  The 
funds !  One  voice  cries  to  me  from  beyond  the  sea,  "  You 
have  burdens  enough  which  we  cannot  bear  with  you  ;  leave 
that  one  to  us — it  is  ours."  That  is  a  good  word.  It  is  more 
than  a  word.  Already  you  are  bringing  your  coppers,  your 
silver,  and  your  gold.  You  have  understood,  "  The  Lord  hath 
need  of  it." 
Fs.  ciii.  I. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

Distresses  and  Deliverances — In  a  Canoe  to  Lealuyi — Good  Reception — 
Military  Ceremonies — A  Camp  Meeting — Sunday  at  the  Capital — A 
Slave  Market — How  long  ? 

Sefula,  May  26//: — 30///,  1892. 

ANOTHER  storm!  .  .  .  How  do  the  storms  arise  on  the 
Zambesi  ?  They  are  so  frequent,  so  unexpected,  and  so 
threatening  !  .  ,  .  Scarcely  has  one  passed  over  our  heads  than 
another  has  already  arisen  and  is  muttering  on  the  horizon. 
What  an  atmosphere  this  is,  where  one's  nerves  never  have 
time  to  relax  !  Oh  that  we  too  could  possess  in  great  measure 
that  wisdom  that  cometh  from  above,  that  we  might  "  walk  in 
wisdom  toward  them  that  are  without  " !  And  yet,  it  seemed 
to  us  that  the  wind  had  swept  away  the  clouds,  and  that  for 
the  first  time  for  a  long  while  our  sky  had  once  more  become 
blue  and  clear.  Indeed,  in  the  middle  of  April,  I  had  returned 
from  Lealuyi,  recognising  with  gratitude  the  answer  {remarkable 
for  us)  of  our  ardent  and  special  prayers.  Almost  without 
expecting  it,  we  were  delivered  from  these  "  unreasonable  and 
v/icked  men "  (2  Thess.  iii.  2),  who  had  so  seriously  hindered 
the  free  course  of  the  Word  of  the  Lord.  The  king  had 
approached  us  again,  and  he  had  smoothed  over  all  the  diffi- 
culties which  he  had  previously  opposed  to  our  installation  at 
the  capital.  Three  times,  he  had  changed  the  canoe  he  had 
presented  to  me,  and  each  time  for  a  better  one.  He  even 
furnished  me  with  canoes  to  fetch  our  supplies  from  Kazungula, 
and  this  "  out  of  friendship,"  and  of  course  without  there  being 
any  question  of  payment.  So  all  was  going  on  for  the  best, 
as  in  the  best  of  all  worlds. 

Unfortunately,   our  brother    Buckenham,   the   chief  of   the 
Primitive   Methodist   Expedition,  had    to  go  to  Kazungula  on 

462 


1892]  ANOTHER    STORM  463 

his  own  affairs,  and  thought  the  occasion  of  my  going  too  good 
to  be  missed.  On  my  advice,  he  asked  Lewanika  for  a  canoe  ; 
and  as  I  foresaw  a  refusal,  I  warned  the  latter  that  in  the  last 
resort  Mr.  Buckenham  could  go  down  in  my  own  canoe,  if 
it  were  not  possible  for  him  to  procure  one.  The  king  replied 
evasively,  and  Mr.  Buckenham  left  with  my  people.  As  soon 
as  he  heard  this,  Lewanika  could  not  contain  himself  with  rage. 
We  had  done  him  out  of  a  good  sum  of  money,  on  which  he 
was  already  counting.  "  What  right  had  the  Moniti  to  hire 
people  out  to  this  stranger?  Are  they  not  his"  {i.e.  the  king's) 
"  own  slaves  ?  "  And  then  he  raised  the  great  question, "  What 
will  their  wages  be  ?  "  For  Lewanika  desires  nothing  but  money  ; 
he  dreams  only  of  that.  In  vain  I  assured  him  that  my 
canoe,  like  those  he  had  lent  me,  was  going  to  fetch  our 
supplies,  and  was  under  the  orders  of  the  petty  chief  whom 
he  had  himself  placed  at  the  head  of  this  expedition  ;  that  Mr. 
Buckenham  had  only  taken  advantage  of  this  opportunity — as, 
moreover,  I  had  told  him  beforehand  he  would  do.  Nothing 
was  of  any  use.  Bitter  little  notes  and  unpleasant  echoes 
brought  to  my  ears  the  insults  the  poor  man  was  raining  on 
my  head,  surrounded  by  his  likoniboa,  flatterers  and  courtiers 
of  the  vilest  sort.  I  even  sent  the  evangelist  Paulus  to  spend 
some  days  with  him,  so  as  better  to  explain  this  voyage  of  our 
Methodist  brother  in  my  boat. 

I  thought  for  a  moment  that  he  had  succeeded.  What  was 
not  our  astonishment  to  learn  a  few  days  later  that  Lewanika 
had  secretly  sent  a  young  man  who  attends  school,  and  who 
is  the  guardian  of  his  daughters  here,  an  order  to  strangle  all 
the  workmen  who  are  working  here  for  me,  all  w  ithout  exception  ! 
This  young  man,  whom,  moreover,  I  belio\'e  to  be  not  far  from 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  dared  not  do  it ;  he  contented  himself, 
out  of  respect  for  me,  with  snatching  his  piece  of  calico  from 
the  first  workman  I  paid.  This  was  the  signal  for  all  sorts 
of  vexations.  The  petty  chiefs  who  attend  our  school,  the  boys 
and  young  men  in  their  suites,  rubbed  their  hands  gleefully. 
Then  they  began  once  more,  as  in  former  days,  to  strip  the 
passers-by,  and  to  lay  violent  hands  on  the  produce  brought 
us  for  sale.  There  was  a  new  panic.  All  our  workmen — and  we 
had  a  good  many,  for  we  are  preparing  all  the  materials  here 
for  our  new  station   at  Lcaluyi — all  our  workmen,  I  say,  with 


464  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

the  exception  of  two,  who  exhibited  really  admirable  courage, 
fled  by  night,  and  for  three  weeks  no  one  dared  to  bring  us 
anything  whatever  to  sell.  If  some  one  ventured  to  come  and 
see  us,  he  hid  first  in  the  bushes,  watched  his  opportunity  when 
no  one  could  see  him,  and  only  spoke  in  whispers. 

Although  ill,  and  scarcely  able  to  stand  on  my  legs,  I 
started  for  Lealuyi,  where,  according  to  my  custom,  I  stayed 
several  days.  Was  the  king  touched  by  my  weak  and  emaciated 
condition  ?  Probably,  for  he  exerted  himself  to  surround  me 
with  attentions  and  amiability.  In  my  long  conversations  with 
him,  I  made  it  a  duty  to  remind  him  of  the  great  lessons  of 
the  revolution  which  had  driven  him  away  into  exile.  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  convincing  him  that  this  clique  of  likoviboa 
did  not  respect  him  any  the  more  because  he  plagued  the 
servants  of  God  without  cause,  strangers  in  his  country  and 
utterly  at  his  mercy.  He  wished  to  raise  the  wages  of  the 
workmen  to  an  absurd  extent,  and  impose  on  us  terms  which 
were  far  too  onerous  and  humiliating.  I  held  out  ;  and  he  ended 
by  giving  in.  He  even  pretended  to  be  indignant,  because 
people  had  exceeded  his  orders  to  annoy  us.  He  sent  for  the 
young  man  whom  he  had  made  his  policeman  and  spy. 

"  The  Moruti"  said  he,  "  has  conquered  me.  I  was  vexed, 
and  scolded  him.  Now,  it  is  done  with.  Let  the  young  men 
who  wish  to  do  so  work  as  usual,  and  see  to  it  that  nobody 
annoys  the  people  any  more  who  come  to  him  to  sell  their  millet." 

Here  we  have  a  manifest  answer  to  our  prayers,  and  we  bless 
God  for  it. 

These  are  details  which  may  seem  very  slight  to  you,  but 
life,  even  the  greatest  life,  is  made  up  of  them.  And  when 
detail  is  added  to  detail,  when  one  petition  after  another  is 
granted,  then  the  Christian  who  observes  and  forgets  not  finds 
he  is  indeed  "  compassed  about  with  songs  of  deliverance " 
(Ps.  xxxii.  7).  We  have  just  had  a  fresh  illustration  of  this. 
Nevertheless,  the  people's  confidence  is  not  yet  restored  ;  we  are 
without  workmen,  and  famine  is  threatening  us. 

The  work  docs  not  stand  still,  notwithstanding,  thanks  to 
the  staff  of  our  establishment.  But  the  day  before  yesterday, 
we  had  measured  out  our  last  portion  of  flour.  At  our  family 
worship,  it  was  not  a  "  vain  repetition  "  to  recite  aloud  together, 
"  Give   us   this  day  our  daily   bread."     All   day,    I    was  on  the 


1892]  SCARCITY    OF    TIIATCII  465 

watch  to  see  from  what  direction  the  help  would  come. 
Nothing !  We  were  astonished,  and  in  the  evening  we  said  so 
to  the  Lord.  "  O  men  of  little  faith  !  "  That  very  evening, 
while  we  were  on  our  knees,  a  messenger  from  the  king  arrived 
at  the  village.  He  brought  us  two  wild  geese  ready  cooked, 
and  a  great  package  of  dried  hippopotamus  flesh,  from  the  king, 
"  my  friend  and  brother."  How  could  we  help  thinking  of  the 
prophet's  ravens,  and  being  penetrated  by  the  sense  of  God's 
faithfulness  ?  The  same  messenger  brought  me  also  from 
another  of  my  "  friends "  a  hundred  and  twenty  tiny  little 
potatoes — just  a  hundred  and  twenty — which  had  been  offered 
me  a  few  weeks  before  for  the  modest  sum  of  £2  los.  in  kind  ! 

The  next  morning,  two  men  lurking  in  a  byway  asked 
me  in  a  whisper  if  they  could  bring  the  flour  and  corn  which 
they  had  to  sell,  and  which  they  had  hidden  in  the  bushes. 
"  Unquestionably,"  I  answered  aloud,  before  everybody  present, 
"  and  at  once ;  you  have  nothing  to  fear."  Consequently,  the 
market  is  about  to  reopen.  The  Lord  carries  on  His  children's 
education  by  His  own  methods;  but  how  often  we  have  to  come 
back  to  the  A  B  C  of  faith  and  unreserved  confidence  ! 

One  anxiety — for  anxieties  here  are  an  ill-weed,  the  nettle 
of  life — was  the  thatch,  the  long  grass  I  needed  to  cover  the 
church,  the  cottage,  and  the  huts  of  the  new  station.  It  was 
said  that  Lewanika  and  his  son  Litia,  who  are  also  building,  had 
gathered  all  the  little  that  has  grown  this  year.  The  fact  is, 
I  suppose,  that  they  were  afraid  of  the  king.  Then  I  announced 
that  I  would  begin  to  buy  on  a  certain  day.  Before  the  day 
appointed,  I  refused  what  they  began  to  bring  me  from  hither 
and  thither.  But  on  that  day,  from  dawn,  there  was  an  un- 
accustomed stir  on  the  station  :  men,  women,  and  even  children 
came  in  long  files  from  every  direction  with  their  trusses,  like 
red  ants  on  the  march.  And  every  day,  except  Saturday,  which 
I  had  reserved  for  myself,  it  was  the  same  thing  ;  so  that  in  two 
weeks  I  had  what  I  needed— more  than  two  thousand  trusses! 
To  the  great  discontent  of  my  Zambesians,  I  then  had  to  close 
the  market. 

I  hope  that  this  building  and  the  others  of  the  new  station 
will  cost  the  mission  nothing,  and  will  not  turn  aside  a  centime 
of  its  funds.     I  reckon  to  devote  to  it  the  remainder  of  a  sum 

which  a  revered  friend  in  England  (Mrs.  H )  had  specially 

30 


466  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

given  for  the  construction  of  a  dwelling-house.  We  are  in  the 
midst  of  full  preparations.  I  no  longer  need  a  house :  a  little 
cottage  like  this  will  suffice  for  me.  The  eternal  "  mansions  "  are 
not  far  off. 

Jvly  \st — <^th. 

I  am  getting  really  better,  thank  God,  and  I  feel  myself  less 
of  a  burden  to  my  friends  and  myself  The  yearly  inundation 
is  over;  the  plain  is  drying  up:  the  low-lying  parts, however,  are 
still  impracticable  pools  and  quagmires.  So,  to  go  to  Lealuyi, 
I  have  to  make  up  my  mind  to  descend  my  canal,  and  follow 
the  interminable  windings  of  the  river,  which  triple  or  quadruple 
the  distance.  The  journey  is  one  of  deadly  monotony  !  For 
want  of  rowers,  I  had  taken  my  small  boat ;  but  it  was  so  loaded 
with  my  four  boys,  myself,  and  my  few  packages,  that  at  the 
slightest  movement  it  took  in  water  and  threatened  to  sink. 
I  sat  shivering  with  my  feet  in  the  water  and  my  clothes  soaked, 
for  the  cold  was  intense.  It  was  my  poor  boys  I  pitied.  It 
is  true  that  they  were  not,  like  me,  condemned  to  almost  absolute 
inaction.  They  could  give  themselves  exercise  with  their 
paddles,  but  the  water  that  streamed  from  their  oars  was 
sprinkled  over  their  bodies  by  the  icy  wind.  At  every  shower 
bath,  one  heard  an  ill-suppressed  "  Mawe !"  while  the  others 
would  try  to  joke  a  little  to  keep  up  their  spirits. 

The  sun  had  disappeared  on  the  horizon,  and  we  were  still 
a  long  way  from  the  capital.  The  moon,  in  its  first  quarter, 
shed  a  misty  light,  that  only  made  the  cold  more  piercing  and 
our  situation  more  doleful.  It  seemed  to  me  we  ought  long 
before  to  have  found  the  entrance  of  Lewanika's  canal  which 
leads  to  Lealuyi.  Could  we  have  missed  it  ?  No  landmark 
either  between  these  banks,  which  rise  like  two  walls,  nor,  when 
they  sink,  in  this  immense  plain,  dreary  and  silent.  And  with 
these  interminable  and  inextricable  zigzags,  it  is  impossible  to 
find  one's  bearings.  Now  we  were  looking  towards  the  crescent 
moon,  now  we  were  turning  our  backs  and  retracing  our  steps, 
only  to  face  about  once  more  until  a  neighbouring  promontory 
sent  us  off  in  a  new  direction.  I  began  to  be  uneasy,  and  my 
boys  too.  Supposing  we  had  already  passed  the  canal  ?  .  .  . 
The  moon  had  long  set,  and  we  were  still  rowing  on.  ...  At 
last,  here  is  the  canal  !   .   .  .   No  mistake   about  it  this  time. 


1892]  A    MIDNIGHT    VOYAGE  467 

The  canoes  have  made  a  way  through  the  reeds  that  choke  it 
up.  We  venture  in.  No  sign  of  a  village — not  a  living  soul 
to  give  us  a  word  of  information.  At  long  intervals,  a  tiny 
intermittent  fire  indicated  a  solitary  bivouac,  but  only  at  an 
unknown  distance.  All  talk  is  hushed,  and  in  this  lonely  silence 
nothing  is  heard  but  the  monotonous  cadence  of  the  oars,  and 
the  hoarse  plaintive  cry  and  flapping  wings  of  an  occasional 
water-fowl  who  flies  off  alarmed  at  our  approach. 

Suddenly,  a  flaring  torch  lights  up  the  night ;  dark  forms  loom 
forth  like  silhouettes  on  a  screen.  Then  a  voice,  "  Holla !  who 
are  you  ?  Are  you  the  MoriiWi  "  "  Yes,  the  MorutV,'  joyfully 
answers  one  of  my  boys.  A  few  more  vigorous  strokes  bring 
us  to  a  troop  of  young  men,  who  glide  their  canoes  alongside 
of  ours.  They  are  excited  and  very  talkative.  According  to 
the  etiquette  of  the  royal  service,  which  does  not  permit  one 
attendant  to  carry  two  things  at  a  time,  however  small,  they 
come  to  me  bringing,  one  a  cup,  another  a  pot  of  milk,  a  third 
is  furnished  with  a  kettle,  while  the  man  following  him  bears 
a  chafing-dish  full  of  live  coals.  All  is  forgotten  now  ;  faces 
brighten  up  ;  tongues  are  unloosed. 

While  my  boys  spring  to  the  shore,  and  brood  over  a  fire  of 
reeds,  there  am  I  with  my  feet  on  the  generous  chafing-dish, 
swallowing  a  strong  decoction  of  something  they  tell  me  is  tea. 
All  I  know  is  that  it  is  something  hot.  W'e  won't  say  Lewanika 
has  nothing  good  in  him  after  this. 

He  had  learnt  I  was  benighted  ;  and  fearing  I  should  lose 
my  way  and  spend  the  night  without  shelter,  he  had  sent  these 
young  men  with  two  canoes  to  look  for  me,  and  had  had  the 
delicate  thought  of  sending  me  a  kettle  of  tea  with  the  precious 
chafing-dish.  Soon  afterwards,  we  were  in  port.  Ten  minutes' 
walk  on  dry  ground,  and  I  reached  my  court,  where — a  luxury 
indeed  here — a  bright  fire  was  burning.  After  having  shaken 
hands  warmly  with  the  king,  who  was  waiting  for  me,  and 
exchanged  a  few  friendly  words  with  him,  we  bade  each  other 
good-night.  I  drew  the  mat  over  my  door,  and  went  to  seek 
in  my  damp  blankets  a  little  warmth  and  sleep.  It  was  near 
midnight. 

I  should  not  like  to  say  that  my  visit  was  inopportune.  No. 
But  I  had  more  occasion  to  observe  than  to  evangelise  directly. 
The  queen,  Mokwae,  of  Nalolo,  was  still  there  on  a  visit.     She 


468  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

is  my  neighbour,  for  our  courts  touch  one  another.  The  very 
next  morning,  she  did  me  the  honour  of  coming  to  share  my 
breakfast,  attended  by  her  sort  of  husband,  who  scarcely  quits 
her  more  than  her  shadow.  She  should  have  started  the  same 
day  for  Nalolo.  "  But,"  she  said  flatteringly,  "  now  that  our 
father  has  arrived,  there  can  be  no  question  of  that.  I  shall  not 
start  till  Monday."  I  was  much  obliged  to  her  for  this,  on 
account  of  Sunday. 

I  also  learn  that  an  army  corps  of  about  three  thousand  men 
has  just  arrived  ;  but,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country, 
it  is  still  camped  at  a  distance  in  the  plain.  Lewanika  had  sent 
it  in  April  to  "  chastise  "  the  Balubale,  who  by  their  incessant 
attacks  on  their  neighbours  were  compromising  the  public  safety. 

The  return  of  this  expeditionary  army  is  quite  an  event. 
In  order  to  receive  it,  the  king  has  had  a  pavilion  of  mats  erected 
outside  the  town.  About  ten  o'clock,  the  drums  announced  that 
it  was  near.  A  black  mass  that  one  could  descry  in  the  distance 
then  began  to  move,  slowly  advanced,  and  halted  some  way  off, 
to  do  homage  to  the  sovereign  by  going  through  all  the  phases 
of  the  usual  royal  salutation.  Then  this  compact  mass  broke  up 
and  formed  different  detachments,  who  made  it  their  business 
to  represent  the  war  they  had  just  been  engaged  in,  which 
had  covered  them  with  glory  !  Here — less,  though,  than  in 
Basuto-land — each  one  sings  his  own  exploits.  The  sight  is 
certainly  picturesque.  Each  is  bedizened  in  his  own  fashion  ; 
plumes  of  every  sort  abound — leopard  skins  and  pieces  of  stuff, 
which  have  been  carefully  preserved  for  the  occasion.  And 
these  gaudy,  variegated  colours,  with  their  agitated  movements, 
their  infinite  combinations  through  whimsical  evolutions  and 
contortions,  dances  and  feigned  attacks,  produce  the  effect  of  a 
gigantic  kaleidoscope.     Thus  passes  the  greater  part  of  the  day. 

Then  the  chiefs  in  a  body,  whom  the  messengers  brought 
up  by  short  stages  with  much  clapping  of  hands,  approach  and 
await  like  statues  the  order  to  make  their  report.  These  are 
admirably  laconic.  Their  microscopic  speeches,  which  according 
to  etiquette,  had  to  pass  through  several  mouths  before  reach- 
ing the  royal  ear,  did  not  last  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  And  yet 
these  braves  told  us  everything  :  their  various  mishaps ;  the 
fright  of  the  Balubale,  who  at  their  approach  fled  into  the 
woods  ;  the  death  of  twenty-six  or  twenty-eight  Barotsi  chiefs 


'^92]  TRIUMPHANT    WARRIORS  469 

of  all  grades  (they  take  no  count  of  the  slaves) ;  the  ricli  booty 
they  are  carrying  or  leading  away— a  unique  herd  of  cattle, 
arms,  a  number  of  women  and  children,  and  then,  and  above  all, 
alas !  the  small-pox,  which  has  already  claimed  numerous  victims, 
and  is  still  raging  in  the  camp.  .  .  .  Lewanika  was  equally 
sparing  of  words  to  express  his  approbation  ;  but  he  gave  what 
they  valued  far  more  than  speeches  and  praises— he  gave  them 
fifteen  oxen  to  kill.  Soon  night  came  ;  the  camp-fires  sparkled 
out  like  a  little  town  illuminated,  and  the  uproar  all  night  long 
told  us  that  Mr.  Gaster,  so  powerful  on  the  Zambesi  (and 
elseivJiere)  was  satisfied. 

That  happened  on  Saturday.  What  sort  of  Sunday  should 
we  have  ?  The  day  promised  to  be  fine.  To  be  sure,  the  wind 
was  blowing  a  little,  and  I  feared  that  Lewanika,  on  the  pretext 
of  neuralgia  in  the  face,  from  which  he  suffers,  would  absent 
himself  from  the  service.  I  paid  him  an  early  call,  and  found 
him  most  favourably  inclined.  He  had  already  given  orders 
to  have  a  shelter  prepared  for  him.  I  was  walking  about, 
meditating,  until  the  hour  of  meeting,  when,  to  my  consternation, 
I  saw  a  party  of  warriors,  who  have  their  home  here,  advancing 
and  entering  the  town.  They  halted  long,  massed  on  the 
public  place.  It  was  the  signal  for  a  general  excitement,  which 
rose  and  attained  its  maximum  when,  after  kneeling  and 
clapping  their  hands,  they  dispersed  each  to  his  own  house. 
The  women,  who  were  grouped  in  the  alley-way.s,  jostled  against 
the  men  in  every  direction,  uttering  piercing  yells  that  made 
one  long  to  stop  one's  ears.  They  went  and  besieged  the  court 
of  each  important  personage  in  turn — and  every  Barotsi  per- 
sonage is  important — and  gratified  him  with  a  serenade  ;  while 
the  latter,  enthroned  upon  a  mat  or  a  stool,  received  the  con- 
gratulations, the  hand-kissings,  and  the  delicate  spittings  of  his 
near  relatives.  These  sharp  cries,  these  sing-song  salutations, 
these  minor  chants,  all  this  excited  coming  and  going,  this  noise 
and  racket,  ended  by  getting  on  our  nerves,  and  making  us 
feel  melancholy. 

As  to  the  meeting,  no  question  of  that.  Wait  ?  We  might 
wait  in  vain.  Even  when  calm  had  been  somewhat  restored, 
and  the  king  ordered  his  drums  to  be  beaten,  we  only  had  a 
miniature  audience.  Their  minds  were  otherwise  engaged.  And 
tFien,  what  must  Lewanika  do  but  take  possession  of  the  shed 


470  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

in  the  lekJiothla  where  his  wives  the  princesses  generally  sit 
to  screen  themselves  from  the  vulgar  eye.  Consequently, 
Mokwae  could  not  show  herself,  although  she  had  put  on  her 
fine  robe  of  crimson  velvet  for  the  occasion,  nor  could  any  of  the 
princesses,  nor  yet  any  other  women.  It  was  a  disappointment 
for  me.  The  congregation  of  the  evening  would  be  better  :  it  is 
generally  the  case. 

Between  the  two  meetings,  I  betook  myself  to  the  camp. 
But  to  whom  should  I  address  myself  to  call  the  men  together, 
since  all  the  chiefs  were  at  the  village  ?  God  would  direct  me. 
I  went  straight  before  me.  Behold,  the  men  sprang  up  to  meet 
me,  seized  my  hands,  and  saluted  me  as  an  old  friend  !  It 
was  a  cross-fire  of  salutations.  ^' Luniela,  Mornti!  Lumela, 
Ntate  oa  Rona  !  "  ("  How  do  you  do,  teacher  ?  How  do  you 
do,  father  ?  ").  You  have  guessed  that  these  are  my  neighbours 
from  Sefula.  This  was  a  capital  method  of  bell-ringing ;  it 
succeeded  brilliantly. 

While  we  were  exchanging  the  bulk  of  the  news,  an 
assembly  had  already  collected.  Then  I  started  a  hymn,  which 
powerful  voices  rang  out  to  the  far  distance.  This  was  my 
second  and  loudest  bell.  People  ran  from  the  extreme  limits 
of  the  camp,  and  I  had  the  joy  of  preaching  to  a  numerous 
and  attentive  audience.  When  I  had  finished,  they  still  kept 
on  arriving :  the  crowd  had  doubled.  So  we  had  a  second 
singing  and  a  second  sermon  ;  then  the  Lord's  Prayer,  repeated 
on  their  knees  by  hundreds  of  men,  closed  this  interesting 
meeting.  1  noticed  that  the  prisoners  of  war,  the  ^alubale 
women  and  children,  had  grouped  themselves  near  me.  Prob- 
ably, they  had  never  seen  a  white  face  before.  I  addressed  some 
words  to  these  poor  creatures  through  an  interpreter,  which 
they  received  with  many  hand-clappings  ;  then  I  took  my  leave 
in  the  midst  of  the  thanks  and  salutations  of  all  these  people. 

Thence,  let  us  go  in  another  direction  to  visit  fifty  Mashu- 
kulumboe.  This  was  an  embassy  that  Nashintu,  the  chiefess 
of  whom  I  have  already  spoken  to  you,^  had  sent  to  Lewanika. 
Samoinda,  the  son  of  this  influential  woman,  had  in  his  youth 
been  carried  off  by  the  Makololo.  To-day,  he  is  a  man  in 
the  prime  of  life,  and  possesses  a  certain  social  position  among 

»  See. page  313. 


1892]  A    SLAVE    MARKET  47  I 

the  Barotsi.  Lcwanika  had  the  happy  idea  of  sending  him  to 
visit  his  mother,  who  is  still  living,  and  who  had  never  seen 
him  again.  Nashintu  recognised  her  son,  and,  touched  by  this 
delicate  attention,  sent  him  back  with  this  embassy  and  a 
present  of  cattle  for  the  king.  So  I  had  a  conversation,  the 
nature  of  which  will  be  easily  understood,  with  these  Mashu- 
kulumboe,  who  interest  me  so  much.  Poor  people  !  "  We  had 
indeed  heard  of  the  Mornti"  (I  am  known  only  by  this  name)  ; 
"  but  now  our  eyes  have  seen  him."  Shall  I  ever  have  the  joy, 
before  leaving  this  world,  of  seeing  the  Gospel  penetrate  to 
them?  We  work,  we  pray,  always  hoping  it  will  please  the 
Lord  to  open  this  door  for  our  Methodist  brethren.  Oh  !  if 
we  were  but  stronger  ! — if  we  were  but  richer  ! — if  .  .  . 

At  Lewanika's  entreaty,  I  decided  to  prolong  my  stay  at 
Lealuyi  to  the  end  of  the  week.  He  said,  truly,  that  he  had 
not  time  to  see  me  during  the  day.  He  made  up  for  it  by 
coming  after  sunset,  to  share  his  dinner  and  pass  the  evening 
with  me.  It  was  a  return  to  old  times — those  times  of  which 
the  memory  is  so  sweet  to  mc.  During  four  consecutive  days, 
from  morning  till  evening,  he  was  entirely  absorbed  by  the 
division  of  the  booty — the  unfortunate  prisoners,  henceforth 
reduced  to  slavery.  I  had  the  curiosity  to  see  how  he  pro- 
ceeded with  it.  I  took  care  not  to  go,  as  usual,  and  sit  down 
beside  him.  I  even  avoided  sitting  down  at  all,  so  that  they 
should  not  misunderstand  my  presence.  It  was  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  a  sharing  of  human  cattle,  which  it  made  one's 
heart  ache  to  witness.  I  had  never  yet  been  so  close  to  a 
slave-market. 

Picture  to  yourselves  thousands  of  Barotsi  crouching  in  a 
circle  before  the  king  and  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  country 
In  the  midst,  heaped  up  close  together,  are  hiDidrcds  of  these 
unfortunate  prisoners.  Not  a  single  man  among  them  ;  no 
young  men.  And  for  a  good  reason.  A  man  is  never  made 
prisoner  ;  he  is  killed  and  disembowelled.  There  are  not  even 
any  old  women.  What  could  they  do  with  them  ?  These  are 
young  women,  the  greater  number  with  little  children  on  their 
backs  ;  or  they  are  young  girls,  and  a  multitude  of  children 
of  all  ages  from  one  to  twelve,  and  of  both  se.xcs.  Sec  one 
band  after  another,  six  or  seven  at  a  time,  who  are  made  to 
rise  and  approach,  and  who  are  subjected  to  a  minute  inspection. 


472  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

while  thousands  of  eyes  are  fixed  upon  them  with  unabashed 
cupidity.  The  women,  emaciated,  frightened,  and  to  our  eyes 
revoltingly  filthy,  generally  hang  down  their  heads.  According 
to  their  national  custom,  they  are  in  a  state  of  nudity,  which 
provokes  the  mirth  and  the  obscene  remarks  of  the  multitude. 
There  is  a  great  consultation  under  the  pavilion  ;  then  a  chief 
advances  towards  the  poor  wretches  to  execute  the  king's  good 
pleasure.  The  unweaned  babe,  fortunate  little  creature,  is  left 
for  some  time  at  least  at  its  mother's  breast.  But  all  the 
others  who  can  walk  already  are  so  many  domestic  animals, 
which  are  distributed  right  and  left.  Poor  children  !  no  more 
mother  or  father  for  them !  But  they  will  get  used  to  it ;  and 
one  day  they  too,  like  these  men  of  to-day,  will  find  their 
pleasure  and  their  glory  in  making  orphans. 

Here  is  a  little  child  scarcely  three  years  old,  who  is  being 
snatched  from  a  young  woman's  arms.  He  shrieks  and  kicks 
about,  wrenches  himself  free,  and  runs  into  the  midst  of  the 
crowd,  quite  lost,  and  crying  for  his  mother,  who  has  already 
been  carried  off.  This  unrehearsed  effect  is  a  capital  joke  for 
everybody.  "  Knock  him  down  ! "  they  shouted  laughingly  to 
his  master.  He  understood  his  own  interests  better  than  that 
and  soon  got  the  better  of  the  refractory  little  creature.  And 
now  it  is  the  turn  of  another  young  mother.  "  Take  that  baby 
away ! "  (apparently  her  firstborn).  But  she,  heedless  of  her 
situation,  seizes  it  and  clutches  it  convulsively  in  her  arms. 
Fire  darts  from  her  eyes,  and  from  her  lips  a  torrent  of  words, 
highly  mirth-provoking  to  all  around  me.  One  could  see  that 
she  was  ready  to  perish  rather  than  part  with  her  own  flesh 
and  blood.  They  were  already  proceeding  to  violence,  when 
Lewanika  let  himself  be  moved,  and  ordered  them  to  leave 
her  child  to  her.  Fortunate  warrior  ;  he  is  a  lucky  fellow ! 
Two  domestic  animals  instead  of  one !  I  could  stand  it  no 
longer :  I  fled  from  these  sickening  scenes,  which  succeeded 
one  another  during  several  days.     O  my  God!  how  long? 

Keep  the  frame  for  a  few  days,  and  change  the  picture. 
The  distribution  of  slaves  is  concluded.  Behold  a  phalanx 
of  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  advancing.  The  circle 
opens ;  it  enters  silently,  and  deploys.  Each  man  carries  a 
broken  bow,  with  a  quiver  full  of  arrows,  a  bundle  of  spears, 
or  else  a  gun,  which  he  carries  reversed.     These  warriors  are 


1892]  THE    SMALL-POX  473 

those  who  have  distinguished  themselves,  and  the  arms  they 
cany  are  those  of  the  enemies  they  have  killed  or  disembowelled. 
Each  has  killed  his  man  ;  some  have  killed  several.  And  all 
of  them  are  not  there.  Some  are  ill  ;  some  are  gone  home  ; 
others,  finally,  are  dead  in  their  turn.  In  this  choice  company, 
there  are  several  young  men  from  my  school.  One  or  two  hang 
their  heads  on  seeing  me.  While  praises  are  being  dealt  out 
to  these  braves,  I  yield  myself  to  all  sorts  of  reflections,  I  make 
a  calculation,  and  find  they  must  have  captured  more  than  six 
hundred  women  and  children,  without  counting  those  who  have 
died  of  small-pox  or  of  ill-treatment,  and  that  they  have  killed 
more  than  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  without  counting  the 
wounded  and  those  who  crawled  away  into  the  woods  to  die 
of  their  wounds.  Must  we  carry  this  calculation  further  into 
the  moral  domain  ?  No  !  War  is  horrible  ;  it  is  the  great  engine 
of  the  great  murderer  of  the  human  race ;  and  he  does  his  best 
to  bring  it  to  perfection  in  every  country.  Enough  !  We  who 
are  always  vaunting  our  light  and  our  civilisation,  shall  we  be 
the  first  to  cast  a  stone  at  these  poor  Barotsi  ? 

Sefula,  September  26th,   1892. 

I  hope  that,  in  the  course  of  next  month,  I  shall  at  last  be 
able  to  begin  the  preliminaries  of  my  installation  at  Lealuyi. 
But  workmen  are  scarce,  owing  to  the  small-pox,  which  is  still 
raging.  I  have  succeeded  very  well  in  obtaining  vaccine  from 
cows.  Hundreds  of  people  have  been  vaccinated  ;  and  even 
though  nearly  all  have  had  the  small-pox,  it  has  taken  a 
very  mild  form,  and  only  one  to  my  knowledge  has  died. 
But  the  difficulties  we  have  to  battle  with  !  The  king  wished 
the  vaccine  to  be  used  exclusively  for  himself,  his  sons,  his 
children,  and  his  nephews ;  later  on,  he  consented  to  have  it 
for  his  village  as  well.  As  for  the  natives,  either  they  had  no 
confidence  in  their  own  people,  or  else,  once  vaccinated,  they 
did  not  come  back  again.  So  long  as  they  were  vaccinated 
themselves,  what  did  it  matter  about  the  rest  of  the  nation  ? 
In  order  to  get  the  lymph,  therefore,  I  was  obliged  to  renew 
my  experiments,  inoculate  cows,  and,  with  the  virus  thus 
obtained,  vaccinate  the  people.     One  cannot  always  be  successful 

All  the  boys  and  nearly  all  the  girls  in  the  house  have  been 
ill,  and  it  was  interesting  to  sec  the  close  connexion  between 


474  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

the  good  vaccine  and  the  small-pox.  Just  now  we  have  a  poor 
girl  covered  with  pustules.  I  have  vaccinated  her  three  or  four 
times  unsuccessfully.  The  poor  child  is  unrecognisable.  This 
is  the  eleventh  day — the  crisis.  On  seeing  her  body,  and 
especially  her  arms,  covered  with  these  frightful  spots,  she  has 
done  nothing  but  sob  all  the  morning.  She  thinks  she  is  going 
to  die,  and  is  afraid  of  being  buried  in  the  "  Christian  fashion."  ^ 
Poor  little  thing ! 

Everything  around  us  is  in  a  sad  state  :  whole  villages  are 
entirely  deserted  ;  the  fields  are  left  fallow,  and  we  are  expecting 
a  frightful  famine. 

M.  L.  Jalla  is  starting  on  his  return  journey  to-morrow. 
His  visit,  like  the  arrival  of  M.  and  Mme.  Adolphe  Jalla,  has 
done  me  good. 

How  long  can  I  remain  at  Lealuyi  ?  I  am  anxious  not  to 
tie  myself  down  to  it.  I  will  make  as  much  of  the  responsibility 
as  possible  rest  upon  Jacob,  the  evangelist  whom  the  Jallas 
have  just  brought  with  them— so  that  I  shall  be  able  to  with- 
draw without  being  missed.  It  is  not  that  I  wish  to  retire  or 
leave  the  mission.  No !  Wherever  I  am,  or  whatever  I  may  be 
doing,  the  Barotsi  Mission  has  my  heart.  I  shall  die  in  its 
service,  if  the  Lord  grant  my  prayer.  But  I  am  not  good  for 
much,  and  it  may  well  be  that  the  Master  will  soon  lay  me  aside. 

'  The  Barotsi  always  bury  in  a  sitting  posture,  facing  eastwards,  "  with 
their  eyes  towards  the  first  ray  of  morning."  They  believe  that  if  they  are 
buried  "Christian  fashion"  {i.e.  flat  on  their  backs),  they  will  rise  again  as 
serpents. 


PART    IV 

L  E  A  LU  Y I 
1892 — 1896 

MARTIN   LUTHER'S   HYMN. 

Through  our  own  force  we  nothing  can, 

Straight  were  we  lost  for  ever ; 
But  for  us  fights  the  proper  Man, 
By  God  sent  to  deliver. 
Ask  ye  who  this  may  be  ? 
Christ  Jesus  named  is  He, 
Of  Sabaoth  the  Lord, 
Sole  God  to  be  adored  : 
Tis  He  must  win  the  battle. 

Front    ''Lyra  Gerniaiii'ca." 


rs 


LEALUYI 


October  28th,  1892,  to  January  1896 


CHRONICLE 


Oct.  28th,  1892 Station  established  at  Lealuyi. 

July  9th,  1893  ..  ...     Church  opened  at  Kazungula. 

March  nth,  1894         ...     Church  opened  at  Lealuyi. 

June  24th,  1894  ...     Arrival  of  M.  and  Mme.  B^guin  from  Switzerland,  and  of  the 

evangelists  John  and  Willy  from  Basuto-land — Mile.  Kiener 

leaves  Sefula  for  Kazungula. 
July  1894  Third    Conference    (at    Kazungula) — Beginning    of    the    first 

general  awakening  on  the  different  stations. 

Oct.  14th,  1894 Station  established  at  Nalolo  under  M.  and  Mme.  B^guin. 

Oct.  1894 Litia  established  as  Prefect  of  Sefula  with  his  wife. 

Nov.  1894 M.and  Mme.  Adolphe  Jalla  leave  Sefula  and  settle  at  Lealuyi— 

Foundation  of  a  school  for  native  evangelists — Mr.  Waddell 

leaves  for  Europe  on  account  of  his  health. 
May  6th — June  15th,  1895  M.  Coillard's  voyage  of  Evangelisa»ion  to  the    Balubale  and 

Balunda,  on  the  Upper  Zambesi,  from  Lealuyi  to  Kakenge. 
July  26th,  1895 Arrival  of  M.   and  Mme.    Boiteu.x  from  Switzerland,  and  M. 

Davit  from  the  Waldcnsian  Valleys,  and  of  the  evangelists 

Aaron  Ndjelepa  and  Theodore  from  Basuto-land. 

Sept.  1895  Fourth  Conference  (Lealuyi). 

Oct.  30th,  1895 ^^'  Coillard  leaves  Lealuyi  ill. 

Dec.  1 8th,  1895 M.  Coillard  and  the  Louis  Jallas  (on  furlough)  leave  Kazungula. 

Feb.  15th,  1896 Arrival  at  Bulawayo. 

June  i8th,  1896 Arrival  of  M.  Coillard  in  Paris. 


476 


CHAPTER    XXX 

Lealuyi  at  last — A  Double  Anniversary— Tlie  Fourth  Station  founded— 
The  Small-pox — The  Kingdom  of  Darkness — The  Plagues  of  Egypt 
— The  Fighting-ants — Levvanika's  Vacillations — The  Stations  boycotted 
— The  Blockade  raised — Warriors  decorated. 

Lealuyi,  October  3U/,  1892. 

SO  here  I  am  at  last,  at  Lealuyi — that  hornets'  nest,  so 
dreadful  and  so  dreaded.  I  know  very  well  that  I  shall 
not  be  alone  here.  You  will  be  with  me  in  your  thoughts  and 
in  your  prayers.  And  Jesus  Himself  will  be  here  too,  as 
He  has  always  been  with  His  servants,  in  the  lions'  den,  in  the 
fiery  furnace,  in  the  darkness  of  a  stormy  night,  in  the  prison — 
everywhere.  He  has  promised  it,  and  we  know  by  experience 
what  His  promises  are.  It  needs  nothing  less  than  this  assur- 
ance to  enable  me  to  face  all  that  awaits  me,  which  I  already 
foresee  with  some  misgivings.  But  God  "  has  given  us,  on  behalf 
of  Christ,  not  only  to  believe  on  Him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  His 
sake."  St.  Paul  said,  before  going  to  Jerusalem,  where  the  last 
persecutions  awaited  him,  "  But  none  of  these  things  move  me, 
neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  myself,  so  that  I  might  finish 
my  course  with  joy,  and  the  ministry  which  I  have  received  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  to  testify  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God." 

The  foundation  of  this  new  station  is  the  realisation  of  many 
wishes.  May  it  be  a  real  taking  possession  !  May  this  new 
lighthouse  cast  its  rays  far  into  the  heart  of  this  thick  darkness  ! 
And,  above  all,  may  the  Master  Whom  I  serve.  He  Who  is  our 
wisdom,  and  in  Whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  zuisdoin,  give 
me  the  wisdoju  which  this  post,  difficult  above  all  others,  requires, 
and  the  zeal  which  knows  how  to  redeem  the  time  ! 

It  was  the  evening  of  October  27th  that  I  left  Sefula.  The 
next  day  was  a  double  anniversary — that  of  the  Adolphe  Jalla? 

477 


478  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

marriage,  and  of  the  day  on  which  she  who  has  left  me  entered 
into  everlasting  glory.  Joy  is  not  incompatible  with  grief. 
Never  did  the  Lord  speak  more  of  joy  than  in  His  last  con- 
versations with  His  disciples,  on  the  eve  of  His  death.  A 
Christian's  sorrow  is  never  without  its  rainbow,  and  my  sorrow 
also  had  one.  The  sun  shines,  but  it  is  in  a  sky  full  of  clouds 
and  rain.  And  whilst  rejoicing  heartily  with  my  young  friends, 
I  would  not — I  felt  I  must  not — let  my  presence  cast  a  shadow 
on  their  festival.  Moreover,  I  had  need  to  be  alone  with  God. 
And  1  departed. 

On  the  28th  then,  the  very  day,  at  the  very  hour  even,  on 
which  the  previous  year  I  had  closed  the  eyes  of  my  beloved 
wife,  I  arrived  alone,  outspanned  my  waggon,  and  pitched  my 
tent  on  this  isolated  and  barren  hillock,  at  the  entrance  to  the 
capital.  The  mound,  which  is  some  six  or  eight  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  plain,  and  measures  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
yards  by  sixty-five  or  seventy,  is  the  sorcerers'  hillock,  the 
Calvary  of  paganism,  and  is  locally  called  Loatile.  It  is  there 
that  sorcerers  are  executed,  being  first  poisoned,  and  then  burnt 
alive.^  No  one  has  ever  yet  lived  here ;  no  one  passes  by 
it.  The  brushwood  and  thorn  bushes  which  cover  it  are  the 
haunt  of  stinging  flies  and  every  imaginable  venomous  insect, 
of  mice,  serpents,  and  other  reptiles  from  the  surrounding  plain, 
especially  at  the  time  of  the  floods  ;  it  is  infested  by  innumerable 
armies  of  fighting  ants  ;  and,  finally,  it  is  the  citadel  of  the 
termites,  who  have,  in  fact,  constructed  it,  and  whose  voracity 
surpasses  anything  I  have  yet  seen.  Under  these  thorns  and 
briers,  among  creeping  and  crawling  beasts,  lie  broken  bows  and 
assegaf  shafts,  the  decaying  fragments  of  wooden  stools  and  bowls, 
calcined  human  bones,  bleached  by  the  sun,  discoloured  by  the 
damp.  All  round  and  everywhere  stretches  the  plain — that 
barren,  melancholy  plain  so  dear  to  the  Barotsi.  The  eye  loses 
itself  in  the  vast  expanse.  The  horizon  is  bordered  on  the  left 
by  a  pale  blue  line,  and  on  the  right  by  a  similar  though  more 
accentuated  one.     These  are  the  thinly  wooded  sandhills  which 

^  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Barotsi,  in  calling  people  sorcerers, 
do  not  mean  the  same  as  we  do.  A  sorcerer  is  a  person  who  secretly 
compasses  the  death  or  misfortune  of  another.  The  magicians,  or  priests  of 
the  occult  art,  whom  we  should  call  sorcerers,  are  Ma-Mbunda,  witch-finders, 
detectives  or  secret  poKce,  and  are  of  course  regarded  as  public  benefactors. 


1892]  THE   JALLAS    AT    SEFULA  479 

once  formed  the  banks  of  a  vast  lake.  Near  me  in  front  is  the 
big  village,  the  capital  of  an  immense  but  sparsely  populated 
country.  This  capital  presents  nothing  very  imposing — a  con- 
fused mass  of  round  huts  with  pointed  roofs  like  beehives,  from 
which  in  the  evening  there  arises  a  dull  murmur,  the  stir  of 
human  life,  and  the  roll  of  drums,  which  frighten  the  evil  spirits 
away  all  night  long  while  the  king  slumbers. 

From  the  midst  of  these  huts  arises  the  thatched  roof  of 
the  king's  house,  a  veritable  palace  in  the  eyes  of  these  poor 
people.  This  house  dominates  everything.  It  is  the  centre 
of  the  harem,  as  the  harem  is  of  the  town,  and  the  town  of  the 
kingdom.  And  the  royalty  reigning  in  this  palace  of  wattle 
and  thatch  is  the  centre  of  all.  Everything  exists  for  it,  every- 
things  hangs  on  it,  everything  is  absorbed  by  it.  It  is  an 
autocracy  which  permits  no  one  any  liberty.  It  is  the  mis- 
fortune of  the  country ;  one  of  the  most  formidable  obstacles 
which  civilisation — by  which  I  mean  progress  and  Christianity — 
has  to  encounter.  This  town  is  my  Jericho,  this  power  is  my 
Goliath,  inasmuch  as  it  personifies  paganism  and  its  sovereign 
pontiff.     Ah  !  had  I  but  the  faith  of  Joshua  and  David  ! 

'  The  last  days  spent  at  Sefula  were  necessarily  painful,  very 
busy,  and  very  tiring.  Ever  since  their  arrival,  the  Adolphe 
Jallas  have  surrounded  me  with  an  affection  that  goes  to  my 
heart.  There  was  nothing  new  in  that,  as  regards  my  young 
brother.  I  know  him  of  old  ;  but  he  has  enriched  us  by  bring- 
ing us  a  helpmeet  like  himself,  of  very  loveable  character,  and 
of  an  eminently  practical  turn  of  mind.  She  has  adapted 
herself  to  the  Zambesian  mode  of  living  without  any  apparent 
effort,  and  with  a  cheerfulness  which  charms  us.  We  must 
form  an  industrial  and  educational  centre  for  our  mission,  and 
I  still  think  that  Sefula  is  the  right  place,  and  M.  Adolphe 
Jalla  the  right  man  for  it.  These  kind  friends  wanted  to  take 
upon  themselves  all  the  trouble  of  preparing  my  residence 
here,  whilst  I  was  to  remain  taking  my  ease  at  Sefula  !  I  am 
grateful  to  them  for  it  ;  but  when  one  gives  oneself,  it  must 
not  be  by  halves.  I  am  prepared  for  anything,  except  to 
impose  knowingly  upon  the  goodwill  or  unselfishness  of  my 
friends. 

We  have  now  worked  at  Sefula  during  six  years.     You  can 
understand  that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  look  back  on  the 


48o  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

past  without  deep  emotion,  and  still  deeper  gratitude.  God 
is  love — yes,  He  is  love.  And  He  is  the  Lord  God  of  hosts, 
the  God  of  battles.  Not  only  has  the  Angel  of  the  Lord 
encamped  round  about  us  to  protect  us,  not  only  has  He  often 
"  compassed  us  about  with  songs  of  deliverance,"  but  He  has 
fought  for  us.  He  is  my  strength  and  my  song,  and  He  will 
be  so  until  the  moment  when  He  Himself  shall  finally  beat 
down  Satan  under  our  feet. 

Do  you  ask  what  are  the  results  of  these  six  years  of  labour  ? 
Where  are  our  sheaves  ?  Alas  !  I  could  speak  of  our  toil,  our 
illusions  and  disillusions,  of  our  best-founded  hopes  and  our 
most  bitter  and  poignant  disappointments.  Even  that  is  some- 
thing. We  have  cleared  the  ground,  ploughed,  sown,  watered. 
That  was  the  task  which  the  Master  had  set  us :  perhaps  we 
were  not  fit  for  anything  else.  It  is  for  others  to  reap  the 
harvest.     And  we  shall  rejoice  together. 

One  of  the  great  hindrances  to  the  work  at  Sefula  is  the 
instability  of  the  population  around.  Like  all  their  congeners, 
they  are  naturally  of  a  roving  nature  ;  but  in  addition  to  this, 
their  state  of  serfdom  frequently  imposes  tasks  upon  them, 
which  force  them  to  leave  their  homes  for  days  and  even  weeks 
together.  Hence  the  irregularity  of  our  congregations  and  the 
lack  of  progress.  But  at  any  rate  our  young  colleagues  will 
find  Sefula  one  of  the  most  interesting  corners  of  our  field  ; 
and  with  their  resilient  youth,  and  the  irresistible  power  of  a  love 
for  souls,  they  will  certainly  make  it  flourish. 

I  am  leaving  Mile.  Kiener  at  Sefula,  as  also  my  friend 
Waddell  for  a  time.  Now,  completely  severed  from  all  this 
tender,  watchful,  and  loving  care,  my  loneliness  grows  even 
drearier,  and  my  life  harder.  But  One  still  remains :  He  is 
enough  for  me.  "  In  His  presence  is  fulness  of  joy,  and  at 
His  right  hand  are  pleasures  for  evermore." 

My  arrival  here  has  not  made  any  great  sensation,  for  I  am 
not  a  stranger ;  then,  too,  the  site  of  the  station  is  on  the 
hither  side  of  the  village  coming  from  Sefula.  The  king  had 
been  sulking  with  us  for  several  days,  because  neither  M.  Jalla 
nor  Mr.  Baldwin  would  buy  an  ox,  which  he  sent  to  me  to  sell, 
at  his  price.  Nevertheless,  he  showed  himself  affable,  and  seemed 
pleased  to  see  me  arrive — so  pleased,  indeed,  that  he  could 
not  believe  it  was  an  accomplished  fact,  and   more  than  once 


1892]  FIRST    SERVICE    AT    LOATILE  48 1 

during  the  conversation  asked  me,  laughing,  when  I  was  going 
back  to  Sefula.  I  announced  that  from  the  first  Sunday 
all  services  would  be  held  on  the  site  of  the  new  station 
It  was  like  a  flash  of  lightning  to  Lcwanika :  he  perceived, 
perhaps  for  the  first  time,  that  something  was  to  take  place 
close  to  his  person,  and  yet  independent  of  him ;  that  the 
immediate  control  of  our  congregation,  our  school,  our  services, 
our  hours,  our  acts  and  movements  in  short,  would,  in  part  at 
any  rate,  escape  him.  He  thereupon  exhausted  all  his  arguments 
to  induce  me  to  change  this  resolve,  and  continue  to  hold  all 
the  services  at  the  lekhothla.  It  was  in  vain.  We  have  groaned 
too  much  under  that  iron  yoke  to  submit  any  longer ;  and  cost 
what  it  might,  I  was  determined  to  free  our  work,  and  to  open 
the  way  to  our  meetings  for  all,  women  and  slaves,  who  would 
not  dare  to  appear  in  the  lekJtotlda. 

On  Sunday,  therefore,  October  30th,  after  eight  o'clock,  I 
sent  Nyondo  ^  to  a  little  mound  near  the  village,  where  he  rang 
a  handbell  for  twenty  minutes.  About  fifty  men  had  already 
assembled  one  by  one  at  our  camp  ;  and  we  asked  ourselves 
if  these,  perhaps,  might  not  be  our  whole  congregation.  Soon 
we  saw  the  road  sprinkled  with  little  groups  coming  towards 
us  ;  then  another  larger  group — Litia  and  his  suite  ;  then  another 
still  larger,  a  black  mass,  which  moved  slowly.  The  beating 
of  drums  and  wailing  of  the  serimbas  told  us  from  afar  that 
it  was  the  king.  He  took  us  by  surprise,  and  for  ten  minutes 
everything  round  us  was  in  a  commotion.  It  was  a  splendid 
audience  of  men  and  young  fellows,  the  best  that  I  have  had 
here  for  a  long  time,  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
persons  ;  but  not  a  single  woman,  unless  we  count  our  two 
converts  from  Sefula,  Ma-Moendarubi  and  Ma-Mocndabai,  who 
are  working  here.  For  a  long  time  past,  I  have  not  been  able 
to  have  a  single  woman  at  our  services.  The  king's  wives  excuse 
themselves  on  the  ground  that  the  lack  of  shelter  exposes  them 
to  the  eyes  of  the  public,  which  is  not  permissible,  and  the  others 
that  they  would  never  dare  to  go  and  sit  in  the  lekhothla,  where 
the  princesses  them.selves  fear  to  go,  and  that  they  are  only  dogs, 
and  cannot  show  themselves  before  the  king.  As  to  the  slaves, 
they  do  not  yet  comprehend  that  the  Gospel  is  for  them  ;  it 
is  forbidden  fruit,  which  they  think  is  only  for  their  masters. 
•  A  Mashukuluiiiboc  Ijoy  previously  mentioned, 

31 


482  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

I  revolved  all  this  in  my  mind,  and  reflected  on  the  trans- 
formation which  the  Gospel  might  produce  in  a  few  years 
amongst  this  people,  while  I  was  trying  to  make  clear  to  their 
understanding  these  words  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Romans  :  "  /  am 
not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ :  for  it  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation,  to  every  one  that  believeth"  But  the  clouds 
were  gathering  up,  and  for  the  first  time  this  year  the  rain 
began  to  fall.  I  had  to  cut  my  address  short.  In  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  our  two  tents,  which  were  already  full  enough,  were 
stormed  and  carried  by  the  court  party,  who  packed  themselves 
into  them  like  herrings.  The  common  people  did  not  stir. 
Those  who  had  any  kind  of  skin  on  their  shoulders,  or  any 
cotton  garment,  even  if  in  rags,  held  it  over  their  heads,  for 
the  benefit  of  themselves  and  of  their  neighbours,  and  all  who 
were  enjoying  such  improvised  shelter  imagined  themselves  to 
be  under  cover.  In  the  presence  of  the  king,  they  did  not 
betray  the  least  discontent  or  impatience.  Lewanika  and  his 
suite  took  possession  of  my  own  tent.  He  said  triumphantly, 
"  Did  I  not  tell  you,  Moruti  ?  I  have  some  wisdom  too." 
"  Yes,  only  you  forget  that  the  public  place  "  {lekhothia)  "  has 
no  shelter  either.     We  will  build  one." 

This  contretemps  troubled  me.  I  asked  God  to  direct  me 
as  to  what  I  could  do  to  save  the  situation.  As  soon  as  the 
rain  stopped,  and  my  audience  were  preparing  to  go  away,  1 
sat  down  outside  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  with  all  the  spirit 
I  could  muster  began  to  teach  them  that  beautiful  Sesuto  hymn 
by  M.  Casalis— 

They  who  know  not  Jesus 
In  their  sins  are  dead  ; 

and  when  I  had  got  them  well  interested,  and  was  sure  of  their 
attention,  I  took  up  the  subject  which  the  rain  had  interrupted 
without  any  further  formality,  but  as  familiarly  as  possible. 
They  listened  to  me ;  every  eye  was  fixed  on  me  ;  and  I  could 
thus  speak  for  a  long  time.  Oh,  may  I  myself  ever  believe 
more  deeply  that  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  the  good  news  of 
salvation,  is  indeed  the  power  of  God  Himself,  and  7iot  mine\ 
Why  do  I  not  see  it  with  my  own  eyes  among  the  Barotsi,  as 
it  ha§  been  seen  in  the  South  Sea  islands,  in  Corea,  among  the 


1892]  THE    SMALL-POX  483 

Tclegus,  and  elsewhere  ?  "  Behold,  I  am  the  Lord,  the  God  of 
all  flesh:  is  there  aiiythinc;  too  hard  for  Me?" 

The  king  then  took  leave,  to  the  sound  of  his  drums  ;  and 
his  retinue  swept  away  all  our  congregation — not  a  soul  would 
have  dared  to  remain  behind.  Do  you  understand  that  the 
hostility  of  this  man  can  hinder  our  work  and  do  us  harm  ? 
But  he  will  be  converted,  truly,  radically !  Very  well,  my 
friends  ;  then  do  you  join  with  us  in  making  his  conversion  the 
subject  of  earnest  and  persevering  prayers.  "If  thou  wouldest 
believe,  thou  shouldest  see  the  glory  of  God."  At  4  p.m., 
in  spite  of  the  threatening  weather  and  our  apprehensions,  we 
again  had  a  congregation  of  from  sixty  to  seventy  men.  The 
king  was  not  there,  but  the  Gambella  and  some  of  the  principal 
chiefs  came.  The  evangelist  Paulus  gave  us  an  address  on 
the  same  subject  as  that  of  the  morning,  full  of  force  and 
originality,  which  riveted  their  attention,  and  did  me  good 
too.  Then  Litia,  like  his  father  in  the  morning,  took  every  one 
away  in  his  suite,  and  we  remained  alone  with  our  boys. 

We  talked  over  our  impressions  with  our  friend  Paulus. 
He  is  decidedly  optimistic,  and  augurs  well  from  the  day. 
Then,  Lewanika  is  evidently  determined  to  be  agreeable.  He 
noticed  that  I  had  left  my  cows  at  Sefula,  and  sent  a  message 
telling  me  to  send  to  his  chief  herdsman  every  day  for  a  pot  of 
milk — a  rare  thing  here.  The  Gambella  also  sends  me  some,  as 
well  as  one  of  my  friends,  who  is  under  obligations  to  me,  so  that 
Paulus  and  I  live  in  plenty.  This  morning,  it  was  a  large  joint 
of  hippopotamus  which  one  of  the  king's  cooks  brought  me, 
and  which  I  hastened  to  send  on  to  Sefula.  That  and  other 
gracious  little  attentions  of  the  same  kind — visits  and  conversa- 
tions— are  trifles,  it  is  true,  but  they  show  which  way  the  wind 
blows,  and  serve  to  raise  one's  courage.  What  is  most  evident 
is  that  we  have  a  work  before  us — an  immense  work,  difficult  in 
the  highest  degree  ;  and  to  accomplish  it,  we  must  not  be  content 
with  our  old  methods.     Oh  for  a  more  complete  self-surrender ! 

The  small-pox  continues  to  make  terrible  havoc.  Mild 
cases  are  now  rare.  It  rages  everywhere  in  its  most  virulent 
form,  and  cuts  down  many  victims  in  a  few  days.  Even  those 
who  have  been  vaccinated  do  not  all  escape.  It  must  be  said 
that  the  heat  is  unusual.  Every  day  the  king  announces  some 
fresh  deaths.     (To-day  is  the  4th  of  November.) 


484  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

The  unfoitunatc  Ma-Mbunda  (witch-doctors),  who,  in  their 
inveterate  opposition  to  vaccination,  had  been  making  a  very 
good  thing  out  of  their  medicines  and  charms,  are  dying  off  like 
flies.  All  our  staff  at  Sefula,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  have 
escaped.  One  of  my  boys  had  the  disease  so  badly  that  for  three 
days  we  despaired  of  his  life.  Now  he  is  rapidly  recovering,  but 
alas !  we  fear  he  has  lost  his  sight.  Poor  Sachono !  blind  at 
seventeen  years  of  age,  and  for  life !  Another,  Seonyi,  is 
seriously  ill  in  his  turn,  although  he  has  been  vaccinated.  It 
is  a  trial  to  us  in  the  middle  of  all  our  work,  for  he  had  taken 
a  fancy  to  wielding  the  driver's  whip,  and  for  want  of  a  better 
we  were  satisfied  with  him.  Thus  it  is  quite  a  hospital  that 
I  have  left  at  Sefula.  Mr.  Baldwin,  of  the  Primitive  Methodist 
Mission,  has  already  passed  through  this  trial ;  but,  thank  God, 
he  had  it,  like  myself,  in  a  mild  form.^ 

Lealuyi,  November  i8//z,  1892. 

My  little  hillock,  a  mountain  in  our  mimic  Holland,  bears 
the  name  of  Loatil6.  I  am  not  surprised  that  our  Zambesi 
people  are  afraid  of  it.  We  have  a  good  share  of  some  of  the 
Egyptian  plagues  here.  The  brushwood  which  covered  it,  and 
still  partly  does  so,  like  a  thick  rough  head  of  hair,  was  the  haunt 
of  innumerable  swarms  of  every  kind  of  insect,  and  of  legions 
of  reptiles— a  perfect  paradise  for  collectors.  I  am  not  one, 
and  for  the  time  being  would  gladly  resign  the  place  to  some 
enthusiast  in  that  line.  The  lizards  are  bad  enough  ;  but  the 
snakes  !  I  counted  no  less  than  five  species  of  these  ophidians 
for  which  I  have  anything  but  a  weakness.  I  find  nothing  to 
admire  in  a  serpent,  its  markings  no  more  than  its  subtlety. 
The  mamba,  viper,  cobra,  and  all  their  tribe  are  bedfellows 
not  at  all  to  my  taste,  and  I  feel  I  have  done  a  good  action 
when  I  bruise  the  head  of  one  of  these  reptiles  which  symbolise 
Satan.  Neither  have  I  any  greater  tenderness  for  the  infinity 
of  centipedes,  and  beetles  of  every  kind,  which  creep  out  of  the 
ground,  and  crawl  everywhere  ;  nor  for  the  swarms  of  mosquitoes, 
flies,  and  nameless  insects,  which  sting  or  bite  mercilessly,  and 
the  sight  of  which  alone  is  enough  to  makes  one's  flesh  creep. 

Some  of  these  insects  sleep  during  the  day  ;  the  light  and 

1  Besides  M.  Coillard  and  Mr,  Baldwin,  Mme.  Louis  Jalla  and  her  little 
boy  Waldo  had  small-pox  during  this  epidemic,  but  mildly. 


1892]  WARRIOR-ANTS  485 

heat  drive  me  from  the  tent,  which  becomes  unbearable  ;  and 
whether  I  will  or  no,  I  breathe  the  open  air,  the  burning  air  of 
our  latitudes,  but  still  the  open  air.  But  in  the  evening  my 
canvas  shelter  becomes  both  an  antheap  and  a  beehive  stirred 
up.  I  am  no  longer  master  in  my  own  house.  It  is  impossible 
to  keep  a  candle  alight.  One  must  surround  the  eating  of  one's 
supper  with  as  much  precaution  as  if  one  had  stolen  it,  then 
blow  out  the  candle,  and  choose  between  the  alternatives  of 
going  to  bed  or  philosophising  in  one's  chair,  or  else  of  sitting 
down  at  the  bivouac  fire  with  the  boys— -all  excellent  things 
in  their  way,  if  they  were  not  a  necessity.  On  a  beautiful 
moonlight  night,  or  even  when  the  darkness  of  a  starless  sky 
inclines  you  to  meditation,  you  would  like  to  stroll  up  and 
down  the  camp,  absorbed  in  thought;  but  that  is  impossible. 

But  there  is  another  little  enemy,  far  more  formidable  than 
those  I  have  just  mentioned,  the  presence  of  which  gives  me 
much  trouble.  It  is  the  fighting-ant,  the  terror  of  man  and 
beast,  of  which  every  one  relates  the  most  incredible  stories, 
travellers,  hunters,  and  all.  Our  little  hillock,  like  all  the  mounds 
which  are  scattered  over  the  plain,  is  nothing  but  an  anthill, 
which  these  indomitable  warriors  dispute  with  their  rightful 
owners,  the  termites,  making  it  at  once  their  fortress  and  their 
refuge.  The  first  scouts  have  scarcely  made  their  appearance 
when  the  body  of  the  army  has  already  invaded  the  place.  Dis- 
tance is  nothing  to  them  ;  they  go  far  afield  for  their  prey. 
Their  sense  of  smell  or  sight  (for  scientists  dispute  about  the  two 
senses)  is  keener  than  that  of  vultures.  One  sees  them  setting 
out  in  innumerable  battalions,  in  serried  well-disciplined  ranks, 
winding  about  like  an  immense  living  ribbon  of  black  watered 
silk,  two  or  three  inches  across.  Where  do  they  come  from  ? 
Whither  are  they  going?  Nothing  stops  them.  Some  object 
perhaps  blocks  their  way  :  if  it  be  anything  inanimate,  they  skirt 
it  and  pass  on  ;  if  it  be  alive,  they  vie  with  each  other  in 
attacking  it,  they  swarm  over  it  in  heaps,  while  the  armies 
continue  their  way,  silently  and  busily.  Should  it  be  a  ditch 
or  brook,  they  at  once  form  into  a  compact  mass  at  the  edge. 
Is  it  an  assembly  to  discuss  the  matter  ?  Probably,  for  soon 
the  mass  stirs,  sways,  passes  over  the  ditch  or  stream,  and  pursues 
the  course  of  its  incessant  and  mysterious  march.  A  multitude 
of  these  soldiers  have  sacrificed  themselves  or  been  sacrificed 


486  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

for  the  public  benefit,  and  these  legions,  whose  only  science  is 
to  conquer  or  die,  have  passed  over  the  corpses  of  their  victims. 

Woe  betide  the  man  who  steps  on  this  black  ribbon  ! 
Before  he  has  even  perceived  it,  hundreds  of  these  angry 
warriors  cover  him  from  head  to  foot,  and  dig  their  pincers 
furiously  into  his  flesh.  It  is  enough  to  drive  one  mad.  Large 
deer,  and  even  the  most  formidable  carnivora,  can  do  nothing 
against  these  tiny  enemies.  They  low,  bellow,  or  roar,  and  run 
away.  As  to  the  lord  of  creation,  who  destroys  and  exterminates 
the  most  savage  of  cetaceans  and  mammals  both  on  sea  and  land, 
he  is  quite  as  helpless  before  this  insect.  Alas  for  his  dignity  !  he 
is  compelled  instantly  to  strip  off  all  his  clothes,  and  rub  himself 
down  the  best  way  he  can,  perhaps  even  to  singe  himself.  At 
night,  the  acme  of  torture  is  reached.  I  do  not  like  to  dwell  on 
the  thought  of  a  missionary  or  his  wife  ill  with  fever  in  a  room 
and  in  a  bed  which  these  ants  have  invaded.  Can  one  picture 
to  oneself  the  agony  of  a  man  coated  with  grease,  bound  hand 
and  foot,  and  thrown  as  a  prey  to  these  implacable,  flesh-eating 
insects?  Nero,  and  later  on  the  Inquisitors,  were  ignorant  of 
it.  Our  Barotsi  bear  the  palm  in  this  particular  ;  such  a  refined 
torture  could  not  escape  them. 

The  neighbourhood  of  the  capital  is  an  anthill  of  another 
kind — a  hornets'  nest,  as  I  told  you.  Will  it  ever  become  a  bed 
of  roses?  It  certainly  is  not  one  now.  Lewanika  is  a  man 
for  whom  I  feel  a  real  affection,  in  spite  of  all  his  faults  and 
caprices  ;  and  he  knows  it.  As  head  of  the  nation,  however 
incapable  one  may  think  him  of  reigning,  he  has  the  right  to 
respect  and  consideration.  "  Honour  to  whom  honour  is  due." 
It  is  Scripture :  "  Fear  God  ;  honour  the  king."  But  he  has 
whims.  He  is  cunning,  arbitrary,  and  thoroughly  selfish.  He 
has  a  sense  of  justice,  noble  ambitions,  moments  of  generosity, 
and  fine  ideas ;  but  all  are  paralysed  by  a  distressing  weakness 
of  character,  which  makes  him  the  tool  of  the  first-comer. 
Thus,  when  he  commits  unjustifiable  public  actions,  when  he 
allows  his  subordinates  to  perpetrate  those  crying  iniquities  in 
his  name  which  revolt  even  the  Barotsi,  when  he  meddles  with 
things  not  within  his  province,  and  demands  from  us  not  only 
what  is  outside  of  ours,  but  what  is,  moreover,  incompatible  with 
our  ministry  and  our  principles,  my  duty  is,  first  of  all,  to  be 
faitliful.     So  it  is  not  astonishing  that  I  should  be  above  all  a 


«892j  AUTOCRACY  487 

Micaiah*  to  this  autocrat,  who  is  incessantly  befooled  by  the 
servile  adulations  surrounding  him.  For  this  reason,  there  will 
always  be  ebbs  and  flows  in  his  relationships  with  me,  answering 
to  the  caprices  of  his  personal  attendants.  They  were  at  low 
tide  when  I  arrived,  and  I  felt  it  in  more  ways  than  one.  I  see 
too  much  and  at  too  close  quarters. 

Famine  is  endemic  at  the  capital.  Three  little  caravans  of 
Bih6ans,  which  arrived  one  on  the  top  of  the  other,  absorbed 
all  the  available  provisions  at  exorbitant  prices,  and  the 
exactions  of  which  these  traders  were  the  victims  are  becoming 
the  rule.  And  then,  though  we  are  in  Africa,  how  far  removed  we 
arc  from  liberty !  Not  one  man  would  dare  to  sell  one  of  those 
bundles  of  rushes  which  he  had  cut,  not  one  of  those  women, 
much  as  they  long  for  white  beads,  would  dare  to  do  a  day's 
work  for  me,  without  express  permission  from  the  king.  We 
might  starve  to  death  at  the  gates  of  this  large  village  without 
any  one  knowing  it ;  for  not  only  is  the  market  closed  until  the 
king  chooses  to  open  it,  but  no  one  would  venture  to  visit  us 
as  long  as  his  Majesty  did  not  do  so  publicly.  Everything  must 
proceed  from  or  towards  him.  That  is  what  prevented  my 
vaccination  from  becoming  popular,  that  is  what  stifles  all 
innovation  and  all  individuality,  and  is  one  of  the  most  for- 
midable obstacles  to  our  Sunday  congregations.  At  Sefula, 
we  had  more  elbow  room.  At  Sesheke  and  Kazungula,  our 
brethren's  liberty  is  in  proportion  to  their  distance  from  the 
capital.  The  Gospel  will  remedy  all  that,  and  will  work  great 
transformations.  The  other  day,  Lewanika  was  struck  by  that 
sublime  prophecy  of  Isaiah's,  which  our  Saviour  applied  to 
Himself,  and  which  I  had  chosen  as  the  subject  for  meditation  : 
"  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon  Me  ;  because  the  Lord 
hath  anointed  Me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek " 
(Fr.  Ver.,  tlie  poor'). 

I  have  just  had  a  week's  visit  from  all  the  Sefula  friends — 
M.  and  Mme.  Adolphc  Jalla,  Mile.  Kicner,  our  friend  Waddell, 
who  is  still  working  at  the  saw-mill,^  and  our  little  girls, — quite 
a  festivity  for   me.       It  was  so    kind  of  them   to  bring  their 

'    I  Kings  xxii. 

*  A  sawmill  sent  out  by  some  friends  in  Glasgow,  worked  by  oxen. 
Waddell  was  getting  the  planks  and  beams  ready  at  Sel'ula  to  build  the  new 
station  at  Lealuyi. 


488  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

overflow  of  life  and  spirits  to  the  hermit's  cell  at  Loatild ! 
They  shared  my  eminently  rustic  life — one  prolonged  picnic. 
They  had  to  put  up  with  all  kinds  of  misadventures  which  it 
was  not  in  my  power  to  spare  them  :  rain  while  the  cooking 
was  being  done  in  the  open  air ;  the  sun  and  the  heat — that 
unbearable  and  unavoidable  heat  which  the  white  canvas  of  the 
tents  reflects  ;  the  invasions  of  insects,  nocturnal  attacks  of  the 
fighting  ants,  which  drive  every  one  from  their  tents  and  beds, — 
misfortunes  which,  alas !  were  crowned  by  the  loss  of  Mme. 
Jalla's  horse.  This  animal  was  not  a  mere  luxury  for  her.  I 
had  lent  her  husband  the  horse  he  had  brought  me,  as  he  had 
unfortunately  lost  his  own,  so  that  she  could  accompany  him  on 
his  Saturday  journeys.  Poor  creature !  it  began  to  cough  in  the 
evening,  and  we  gave  it  some  medicine,  but  the  next  morning 
it  sank  down  on  the  edge  of  the  road  to  Sefula  and  died. 

I  cannot  tell  you  the  good  this  visit  did  me.  It  is  delightful 
only  to  look  at  happy  young  people  full  of  activity  and  energy, 
and  it  makes  me  feel  quite  young  again  myself.  Everything 
was  transformed  as  soon  as  they  arrived.  No  one  was  idle 
except  myself,  and  they  would  not  allow  me  to  work.  La 
marecliale  and  la  colonel.,  in  Salvationist  phraseology,  looked 
after  everything.  Mile.  Kiener  saw  to  the  housekeeping,  as  in 
old  days,  and  privately  gave  my  boys — what,  alas !  they  have 
the  greatest  want  of — lessons  in  order  and  cleanliness.  For  my 
part,  I  feel  how  much  I  need  the  grace  of  God  to  keep  me  sweet- 
tempered  and  patient  while  serving  this  new  apprenticeship. 

Mr.  Waddell,  like  the  good  friend  he  is,  set  to  work  at  once 
on  the  erection  of  a  very  rudimentary  shelter,  which  is  needed 
until  we  can  build  our  church.  He  had  prepared  the  modest 
roof  at  Sefula,  and  Mile.  Kiener  had  sewn  the  canvas  for  it, 
so  that  the  work  was  soon  finished.  But  that  canvas !  Just  see 
how  God  provides  for  our  needs.  I  had  ordered  some  a  good 
while  ago  for  another  purpose.  The  trader  long  forgot  to  send 
it ;  and  when  he  did,  to  make  up  for  his  neglect  perhaps,  he 
doubled  the  quantity.  It  was  no  use  remonstrating — the  canvas 
was  there  ;  and  as  it  turned  out,  we  should  not  have  had  our 
shelter  but  for  his  mistake.  When  completed,  this  tent  will 
measure  thirty-three  feet  by  twenty-one.  Quite  close  to  it, 
suspended  from  two  strong  posts  firmly  set  up,  hangs  the  bell, 
which  was  to  begin  its  work  next  day.     That  day — Saturday — 


»892]  THE    TIIUTO  489 

we  paid  a  pleasant  visit  to  the  king,  hunted  up  the  people 
in  the  village,  had  a  specially  earnest  prayer  meeting  in  the 
evening,  and  all  was  ready.  On  Sunday  morning,  the  sky 
looked  grey,  but  there  was  no  rain.  We  were  still  at  breakfast, 
and  had  not  yet  begun  to  ring  the  bell,  when  the  beating  of 
drums  announced  the  king. 

There  he  was,  approaching  with  a  large  suite,  a  mass  of  men, 
but  of  course  not  a  single  woman.  It  was  not  an  easy  thing 
to  seat  all  these  people.  The  king  is  the  only  deity  they 
recognise  ;  once  he  is  settled,  his  atrocious  band  of  musicians 
installs  itself  in  front  of  him,  the  common  herd  fill  up  the  space, 
not  only  around  his  Majesty,  but  also  round  the  principal  chiefs, 
each  according  to  his  rank.  But  I  am  master  here  ;  and,  in 
spite  of  a  little  hesitation,  contemptuous  smiles,  and  clicking 
of  tongues,  my  authority  was  recognised,  and  they  submitted. 
Order  once  established,  and  the  rows  formed,  the  service  began, 
and  our  brother  Jalla  made  an  urgent  appeal,  taking  for  his 
text  the  words  of  Philip  to  Nathanael  :  "  Come  a7id  see."  Then, 
after  we  had  had  a  few  moments'  conversation  with  Lewanika, 
the  whole  congregation  departed  in  procession,  to  the  sound 
of  drums  and  serimbas. 

Unfortunately,  both  M.  and  Mme.  Jalla  had  bad  attacks  of 
fever.  To  be  ill  here,  in  a  baking  hot  tent,  is  not  very  cheerful ; 
so  our  friends  were  obliged  to  cut  their  visit  short  and  return  to 
Sefula.  But  since  then,  messengers  constantly  pass  between 
here  and  there.  Who  knows  if  we  may  not  one  day  have 
a  telephone.  Why  not  ?  Africa  is  the  home  of  surprises  and 
amazing  transformations. 

Aovembef  21st,  1892. 

To-day,  our  audience  was  smaller,  in  spite  of  our  visits  to 
the  huts,  and  all  the  promises  they  made  us.  The  people  do 
not  dare  to  come  yet,  even  those  men  who  are  not  chiefs,  nor 
yet  the  king's  personal  attendants.  The  Gospel — the  Tluito,  as 
they  say — belongs  exclusively  to  the  king  :  forbidden  fruit  for 
the  people.  The  king  himself  came  without  his  insufferable 
band  of  music.  He  made  a  demonstration  of  another  sort. 
As  he  has  five  or  six  horses,  he  put  them  all  in  requisition  for 
himself  and  his  young  men.  Ten  minutes'  walk  is  too  much 
for  the  heavy  dignity  he  carries,  and  he  took  care  to  tell  mc 


490  ON    THE   THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

SO.  I  no  longer  dispute  the  question  with  him.  I  have  asked 
him  several  times,  if  the  ten  minutes  is  too  much  for  him,  to 
show  me  some  other  site,  no  matter  whet^e,  that  the  station  can 
occupy ;  and  as  he  confirms  what  we  all  know,  that  there  is  no 
other,  and  that  it  is  here  and  here  alone  that  we  can  build,  we 
do  so.  The  preaching  was  followed  by  an  informal  meeting, 
in  which  our  friend  Paulus  catechised  the  congregation  with 
surprising  authority.  To  set  a  good  example,  the  king  replied 
with  much  spirit  and  intelligence.  We  sang  a  great  deal  ;  but 
it  may  be  said  in  passing  that  I  have  not  yet  succeeded  in 
making  our  hymns  popular.  The  Zambesians  sing  like  crows, 
and  it  is  difficult  enough  to  get  them  to  do  even  that. 

Lewanika  remarked  that  there  was  no  hymn  like  his 
favourite  "  Litaba  tse  gu  imelang."  ^  "  But,"  said  Paulus 
respectfully  to  him,  "  I  do  not  understand  why  the  king  likes 
this  hymn  so  much,  since  he  does  not  know  Jesus  ?  " 

Lewanika,  somewhat  embarrassed  by  so  direct  a  question, 
replied,  "  You  mean  to  say  that  I  do  not  believe.  It  is  true. 
But  all  the  same,  it  is  good  to  know  that  there  is  somebody 
on  whom  one  can  unburden  all  that  perplexes  and  saddens 
one.  To  be  the  friend  of  tJie  Kmg"  {Motsualle  oa  Moreno) — 
"that  is  no  small  thing." 

At  nightfall,  I  received  the  post.  Among  others  was  quite 
a  packet  of  old  letters,  dated  from  the  first  months  of  1891, 
some  of  which  were  discovered  by  a  friend  in  some  forgotten 
corner  of  the  post-office  at  Palapye,^  whilst  others  returned 
from  a  long  journey  to  Fort  Salisbury,  and  a  still  longer 
quarantine  there.  Who  knows  how  many  other  letters  and 
papers  may  not  have  strayed  in  the  same  way,  and  been 
definitely  lost,  besides  those  eaten  by  the  white  ants  ?  You  see 
that  our  postal  service  still  leaves  something  to  be  desired. 
But  don't  grow  discouraged  about  writing,  dear  friends.  Re- 
member that  your  letters  are  one  of  the  greatest  blessings  we 
have   in    this  country,  where,  always  called  upon  to  give  out, 

'  Known  in  Sesuto  by  the  title  of  "  MotsJialle  oa  Morena  "  ("The  Lord's 
friend  ") ;  a  translation  of — 

"  What  a  friend  we  have  in  Jesus, 
All  our  cares  and  griefs  to  bear ! " 
See  page  401. 

*  Properly  spelt  and  pronounced  Palapchwe. 


i892]  CORRESPONDENCE  49 1 

without  ever  receiving  anything,  we  soon  become  empty  and 
exhaust  ourselves.  Your  correspondence  takes  the  place  of  all 
the  intellectual  and  religious  life  from  which  we  are  cut  off.  If 
you  only  knew  how  delightful  the  moments  are  which  you  thus 
spend  with  us !  We  forget  our  little  miseries,  and  even  the 
great  ones  appear  less  hard.  Our  loneliness  and  our  gloom  are 
lightened,  when  we  hear  that  the  sun  is  shining  with  you !  In 
speaking  thus,  I  think  more  of  my  dear  young  colleagues  than 
of  myself.  They  have  their  careers  before  them ;  and  believe 
me,  it  is  an  arduous  and  unthankful  task.  Thus  they  need  to 
be  powerfully  upheld  by  every  possible  means ;  and  corre- 
spondence, remember,  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  these. 

November  -^ptk. 

The  work  advances  but  slowly.  The  clearing  away  of  the 
larger  bushes  is  finished.  We  are  now  demolishing  and  trying 
to  dig  out  and  level  our  anthills.  We  have  destroyed  a  great 
quantity  of  nests  and  queens.  The  anthills  are  formed  of  a 
labyrinth  of  chimneys  into  which  a  man's  body  could  enter,  and 
of  innumerable  passages  which  communicate  with  each  other 
and  lead  to  the  nests.  These  sponge-like  nests  are  made  of 
such  soft  substance  that  they  fall  to  powder  at  a  touch.  As  for 
the  queen,  it  is  nothing  but  a  bag  of  living  matter,  a  grub  with 
an  ant's  head,  without  legs  or  means  of  locomotion.  We  have 
also  waged  desperate  war  against  the  fighting  ants,  destroying 
their  fortresses  with  fire  and  boiling  water.  Perhaps  this  will 
procure  us  a  temporary  respite  ;  but  doubtless  the  floods  will  be 
the  signal  for  fresh  invasions. 

I  do  not  know  why  I  can  never  speak  of  this  ant  plague 
without  thinking  of  Lewanika  and  his  followers.  They  have  so 
thoroughly  succeeded  in  poisoning  Lewanika's  mind  that  he 
cannot  yet  believe  in  the  disinterestedness  and  purity  of  our 
motives.  He  suspects  everything,  even  our  kindnesses  and 
attentions  to  him.  Thus  he  is  always  on  the  defensive,  and  he 
is  as  jealous  of  his  power  as  if  he  thought  me  seriously  capable 
of  usurping  it.  And  then,  my  absolute  refusal  to  take  orders 
from  him,  like  his  purveyor  or  trader,  does  not  fail  to  irritate 
him  at  times.  He  cannot  understand  that  there  can  be  a  man 
near  him  who  dat^es  refuse  to  barter  with  him  his  own  clothes, 
his  personal    provisions,  building  materials,  or  anything  which 


492  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

excites  the  desire  of  his  Majesty  or  Mokwae  or  Litia.  I  force 
myself,  with  God's  help,  to  maintain  my  relations  with  I>ewanika 
on  a  higher  level,  without  complaining  or  losing  my  temper. 

One  morning,  I  had  gone  to  sit  beside  him  in  the  lekJiotJila. 
After  a  few  minutes,  what  was  my  astonishment  to  hear  the 
principal  chiefs  make  the  following  proclamation :  "  Listen,  O 
Barotsi !  It  is  the  king's  word.  The  Moruti  has  come  to  dwell 
among  us.  The  king  rejoices  greatly,  and  so  do  we.  It  is 
not  that  he  is  going  to  found  another  village,  but  he  has  much 
work  to  do.  Here  then  is  a  fountain  of  beads  and  stuffs. 
Work  for  him,  men  and  women,  young  men  and  maidens.  He 
has  garments  and  ornaments  for  you.  To-day  we  open  the 
gate  to  you.     Go  !  " 

Before  I  could  return,  there  was  already  a  good  quantity 
of  reeds  and  millet  awaiting  me.  Thank  God,  the  blockade  is 
raised ! 


CHAPTER    XXXI 

The  Interdict  withdrawn — A  Coup  d'etat — Warriors  decorated— Building 
Operations — Lewanika's  Skill  in  Handicrafts — Christmas  at  Sefula — A 
Hurricane — Mashukulumboe-land  opened  to  the  Gospel — Painful  Defec- 
tions— Litia  and  Andreas — Mackay  of  Uganda — "  Quit  you  like  men." 

The  first  days  of  Dece?nber  1892. 

WE  are  no  longer  isolated.  What  a  change  already  since 
Lewanika  withdrew  the  interdict  he  had  laid  on  us,  in 
order  to  show  his  authority  !  People  visit  us,  and,  above  all, 
they  bring  us  reeds.  Food  is  scarce  and  very  dear.  Of  course, 
I  had  great  difficulty  in  fixing  the  price  of  reeds.  They  knew 
I  needed  them  ;  therefore  (the  principle  is  the  same  everywhere) 
advantage  must  be  taken  of  their  neighbour's  necessity.  For 
example,  here  is  a  big-wig  of  the  country,  one  Mokuamboyo, 
one  of  the  principal  chiefs,  who  comes  strutting  along  in  a 
voluminous  shirt  reaching  to  his  ankles.  He  is  followed  by 
half-a-dozen  slaves,  each  carrying  a  handful  of  these  precious 
reeds.  He  wants  four  yards  of  cloth  ;  and  rather  than  break 
off  the  transaction  I  give  him  half — that  is  to  say,  ten  times  the 
right  value.  This  transaction  takes  me  a  good  part  of  the 
morning.  A  very  few  such  clients  would  fritter  away  the  whole 
of  my  time,  and  tax  my  patience  to  its  utmost  limits.  Some- 
times it  happens  that,  after  an  interminable  palaver,  the  poor 
people  go  away  grumbling  and  threatening  to  close  the  market. 
I  have  now  given  up  this  business  to  the  catechists,  and  with 
advantage.  They  have  more  tact  and  patience  ;  they  can  sit 
down  and  talk  and  make  the  acquaintance  of  the  men  ;  and, 
far  from  closing,  the  sale  gets  more  lively,  and  we  shall  soon 
have  all  we  want,  if  it  goes  on  like  that. 

Every  day  the   sun  is   like  fire.     In  the  afternoon,  the  sky 
gets  well  covered  with  clouds,  but  generally  a  wind  springs  up 

493 


494  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

which  sweeps  them  away,  and  covers  us  with  dust.  Nothing 
escapes  this  dust,  especially  in  a  tent.  A  nice  seasoning  for  the 
evening  meal  !  I  was  saying  this  to  myself  one  day,  when  a 
message  came  from  the  king,  which  disturbed  me  not  a  little. 
"  Know,"  said  he,  "  that  the  Ma-Mbunda,  the  initiated,  the 
Masters  of  the  Secret  Art,  have  been  consulting  the  divining 
bones.  This  morning,  the  principal  chiefs,  with  the  Gambella  at 
their  head,  came  to  tell  me  the  result.  Well,  it  is  I  myself 
whom  the  bones  have  seized  upon  and  denounced.  They  accuse 
me  of  having  brought  the  curse  of  small-pox  on  the  nation,  and 
of  preventing  the  rain  from  falling.  So,  if  I  am  cruel,  do  not  be 
surprised." 

The  first  thing  in  the  morning,  I  went  to  the  king,  accom- 
panied by  Paulus  and  Jacob.^  I  found  him  in  the  lekJiothla,  and 
sat  down  beside  him.  He  was  nominating  new  chiefs  to  replace 
those  that  the  small-pox  had  carried  off' — and  they  were  many  ! 
On  ordinary  occasions,  it  would  have  been  an  interesting 
ceremony.  But  Lewanika  was  anxious  and  irritable.  He  had 
fits  of  absent-mindedness,  and  cast  furtive  looks  around  him. 
As  soon  as  he  could,  he  rose  and  asked  me  to  accompany  him. 

But  in  the  large  rectangular  shed  of  the  lekhothla,  an  unusually 
loud  clamour  was  going  on  all  the  time.  "  They  are  still  at  it," 
said  the  king  to  me  as  we  parted,  I  wanted  to  see  what  was 
going  on  there,  and  forced  my  way  through  the  dense  crowd 
which  surrounded  the  hut.  Inside,  six  or  seven  old  Ma- 
Mbunda,  squatting  on  some  skins,  were  convulsively  shaking 
baskets  filled  with  every  imaginable  object — bits  of  human 
skeletons,  bones  of  strange  animals,  spines  and  scales  of  fish, 
rare  shells,  curious  seeds,  the  hair  of  wild  beasts,  indescrib- 
able charms,  and  so  on,  ad  infinituni.  These  wizards  were 
absorbed  in  the  study  of  each  combination,  muttering  cabalistic 
formulas ;  whilst  their  acolytes,  ranged  in  a  circle  round  them, 
made  a  frightful  clatter  with  their  rattles  (formed  of  gourds  and 
the  fruit  of  the  baobab  tree),  wooden  harmonicas,  bells,  and 
tom-toms.  The  people,  packed  like  herrings,  looked  on  with 
craning  necks,  staring  eyes,  and  mouths  agape.  And  all  this  by 
the  express  orders  of  the  headmen  in  full  lekhotJila,  under  the 
very  eyes  of  the  king,  whom  they  thus  publicly  accuse  of  the 

Both  catechists  newly  arrived  from  Basuto-land. 


'892]  A   COUP    D'ETAT  495 

nation's  misfortunes  !  I  was  watching  this  weird  scene,  absorbed 
in  gloomy  reflections,  when  a  messenger  came  to  call  me. 

Lewanika,  intensely  agitated,  was  issuing  orders  to  one  of 
his  favourites.  Shortly  afterwards,  a  great  tumult  of  confused 
voices  made  itself  heard  on  the  public  place.  The  king's 
messenger  had  assembled  the  crowd,  given  his  message,  and 
finished  by  crying,  "  Seize  them  !  "  Hundreds  of  voices  replied, 
each  louder  than  the  other,  "  Seize  them  !     Seize  them  !  " 

Every  one  threw  themselves  on  the  wretched  Ma-Mbunda,  and 
fought  for  the  pleasure  of  throttling  them.  They  had  already 
been  seized,  one  by  the  legs,  another  by  the  arms,  others  by  the 
neck,  when  a  second  messenger  arrived,  who  ordered  the  release 
of  the  miserable  men,  and  warned  them  to  have  more  respect 
for  the  Throne  in  future.  The  excitement  calmed  down  ;  the 
Ma-Mbunda  had  already  profited  by  the  moment's  confusion 
to  escape.  In  former  days,  and  that  not  so  very  long  ago,  they 
would  have  been  put  to  death  relentlessly.  Lewanika  lost 
no  time  in  asserting  his  authority,  and  it  is  well  ;  but  I  asked 
myself  anxiously  whether  he  had  really  put  an  end  to  the 
danger  which  threatened  him,  and  about  which  he  certainly 
was  not  mistaken.     God  grant  it ! 

December  Tth,  1892. 

Lewanika  has  sent  word  to  me  to  be  present  at  the  grand 
ceremony  of  decorating,  as  we  should  say,  the  warriors  who 
distinguished  themselves  in  the  last  campaign  against  the 
Balubale — that  is  to  say,  those  who  had,  no  matter  how,  killed 
one  or  more  of  their  enemies.^  There  were  several  hundreds, 
and  amongst  them  I  noticed  some  quite  young  boys,  who  were 
not  among  the  least  proud.  They  were  arranged  in  rows,  their 
faces  painted  with  white  clay — one,  two,  or  more  circles  round 
their  eyes,  according  to  the  number  of  their  respective  victims, 
giving  them  a  wild  and  horrible  appearance.  In  front  of  the 
king  and  his  councillors  were  little  piles  of  cloth  of  every  hue, 
to  which  each  helped  himself  in  turn,  according  to  the  number 
of  his  marks.  He  immediately  tied  the  stuff  round  his  neck, 
letting  it  float  behind,  which  gave  a  little  colour  to  the  ceremony, 
otherwise  very  dull.     There  was  not  the  smallest   attempt  at 

'  This  had  not  been  a  marauding  raid,  like  that  against  the  Mashukulumboe, 
t)ut  a  legitimate  expedition  to  put  down  a  rebellion. 


496  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1892 

applause  or  any  other  demonstration.  To  shed  blood  is  such 
an  every-day  thing  here  !  What  a  contrast  to  certain  Basuto 
pit  SOS  that  I  have  seen  !  Nevertheless,  the  poor  Barotsi  display 
these  bits  of  calico  and  printed  cotton  with  the  same  pride  that 
our  soldiers  bear  a  metal  cross  and  red  ribbon. 

The  building  of  our  huts  advances  slowly.  The  walls  consist 
of  a  circle  of  sixteen  stakes  in  all,  driven  in,  and  the  interstices 
filled  with  reeds.  A  roof  of  rough  wicker-work  the  shape  of 
an  inverted  funnel,  a  few  bundles  of  fine  grass  which  cover  it 
more  or  less  incompletely,  three  coats  of  mud  and  cow-dung, 
and  the  house  is  complete.  Only,  it  is  some  time  before  it  is 
dry  and  habitable.  Coming  from  the  tent,  the  hut  will  be  like 
a  palace  for  solidity,  shelter,  and  coolness.  Still,  it  is  nothing 
compared  with  those  which  were  built  four  months  since  for 
the  royal  harem.  TJiey  are  worth  seeing,  and  Lewanika  and 
the  Barotsi  are  very  proud  of  them.  Made  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  huts,  with  all  the  proportions  kept,  I  confess  that  there 
is  something  fine  and  imposing  about  them.  I  doubt  if  one 
could  find  anything  to  approach  them  among  the  tribes  of  the 
South.  It  is  the  same  old  plan  as  that  which  the  Makololo 
copied  from  the  Bechuana,  but  greatly  elaborated  and  improved 
upon — two  concentric  walls,  covered  with  a  single  immense 
roof.  Everything  is  admirably  finished  off,  from  a  native  point 
of  view  at  least. 

These  Barotsi  astonish  me :  they  are  certainly  the  most 
industrial  of  any  blacks  I  have  known.  They  do  everything 
necessary  with  only  a  few  implements,  and  those  of  the  most 
primitive  kind.  The  smiths  form  a  clan  apart.  Not  only  do 
they  make  all  the  arms  for  the  country,  the  hoes,  nose-picks,' 
etc.,  but  give  them  a  model,  and  they  will  make  nails  of  the 
desired  size,  hatchets,  spades,  etc.  They  will  not  be  of  steel, 
but  a  good  imitation  of  it.  There  are  also  armourers — a  very 
small  number,  I  must  say.  True,  they  cannot  make  the  barrel 
of  a  gun,  but  they  can  fashion  the  butt-end  and  mount  it  for 
you  with  as  much  finish  as  a  European.  Those  who  work  in 
wood  and  basket-work  are  more  numerous. 

Lewanika  likes  work.     Under  the  shadow  of  a  thick  grove, 

^  The  Barotsi  substitute  for  a  pocket-handkerchief  a  curved  steel  instru- 
ment, something  between  a  palette-knife  and  a  small  spoon,  very  supple  and 
prettily  engraved. 


1S92]  lewanika's  workshop  497 

which  serves  him  as  a  sanctuary  for  his  heathen  rites,  he  has 
had  a  workshop  built,  into  which  none  but  handicraftsmen  may- 
enter.  You  will  find  him  there  in  his  leisure  hours,  workini^ 
with  his  own  hands,  with  about  ten  workmen  under  his  orders. 
What  does  he  do  there  ?  Or,  rather,  what  does  he  not  do  ? 
Sometimes  it  is  a  little  fancy  canoe,  or  the  portable  framework 
of  an  immense  tent  which  is  to  serve  for  his  annual  hunts,  an 
ingenious  camp-bed  or  a  vehicle  of  his  own  invention  to  transport 
the  white  men's  canoes  to  the  Ngonye  Falls  and  bring  him 
back  plenty  of  money  !  Sometimes  it  is  a  musical  instrument, 
a  harmonica,  which  he  is  making  ;  or  else  it  is  a  flat  surface 
on  which  he  enjoys  carving  some  wild  animal,  fish,  or  birds  ;  or 
else  it  is  an  ivory  bracelet  or  hairpin  which  he  chisels  very 
delicately. 

Every  year,  he  invents  a  new  model  for  his  royal  barge. 
Last  year's  Nalikuanda  was  a  monstrous  thing,  a  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  long,  in  which  he  tried  to  carry  out  the  vague  ideas 
he  had  gleaned  here  and  there  of  the  way  in  which  white 
people  build  their  boats.  It  was  not  a  success.  It  gives  one 
a  feeling  of  regret  to  see  so  much  labour  thrown  away  in  the 
service  of  such  noble  ambitions.  The  gondola  which  he  made 
for  his  sister,  the  queen,  is  less  pretentious  ;  it  is  built  according 
to  the  traditions  of  the  country,  and  is  in  its  way  a  little 
masterpiece.  Poor  Lewanika  !  He  is  in  advance  of  his  times  ; 
he  leaves  his  people  far  behind  him.  He  is  incessantly  teasing 
me  to  establish  my  saw-mill  here.  He  spends  half  his  time 
in  it ;  he  would  like  it  to  work  for  himself  alone  in  the 
first  place.  What  is  the  use  of  a  saw-mill  at  Sefula,  or  of 
a  forge  and  such  a  beautiful  stock  of  tools !  It  is  not  MorMeng 
(the  king's  residence) !  How  happy  he  would  be  if  he  had 
a  Mackay  near  him  !  You  can  understand  that  he  turns  out 
good  workmen,  but  unfortunately  they  and  all  their  talents 
are  for  his  own  exclusive  use. 

For  us  white  people,  whom  they  do  not  as  yet  rank  very  higii 
in  the  social  scale,  they  work  badly  and  unconscientiously  :  it 
is  not  obligatory.  For  themselves,  they  do  not  work  at  all  :  not 
only  is  it  not  a  necessity,  but  it  is  a  wish  they  are  forbidden  to 
indulge  in.  Let  me  give  you  an  example  in  passing.  A  clever 
workman,  trained  under  Mr.  Waddell,  a  good  honest  fellow  (he 
certainly  made  a  big  hole  in  a  herd  of  goats  we  once  had,  but 

32 


498  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

still  honest  according  to  the  notions  of  the  country),  had  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  constructing  a  little  hut  like  ours  for  himself. 
The  stakes  had  already  been  driven  in  and  the  framework 
of  the  roof  made,  European  fashion  ;  but  when  he  wanted  to 
put  it  up,  the  Barotsi,  who  had  spied  on  him,  fell  upon  him, 
pulled  up  the  stakes,  destroyed  the  framework,  and  only 
granted  him  the  privilege  of  bowing  down  and  rendering  royal 
homage,  because  they  had  saved  his  life  and  spared  his  throat. 
How  can  one  hope  for  progress  under  such  a  system  ?  But 
you  may  be  sure  the  system  will  die  out,  and  the  people  will 
find  scope  for  the  development  of  their  industrial  talents. 

Jaujiary  2nd,  1893. 

My  huts,  of  which  I  have  six,  have  given  me  much  trouble. 
I  get  on  pretty  well  with  the  men,  but  it  is  beyond  me  to 
make  the  women  work  for  a  whole  day — and,  unluckily,  I 
think  they  know  it.  All  the  same,  I  must  employ  them,  for 
plastering  is  exclusively  their  work.  Happily,  the  wife  of 
Jacob,  the  evangelist,  is  there,  and  I  give  up  this  department 
to  her.  She  is  a  woman  herself,  a  native,  and  made  of  good 
stuff,  and  she  manages  wonderfully.  Thus  you  see  I  have 
valuable  helpers  in  the  Basuto  catechists.  Paulus  is  only 
lent  to  me.  His  place  is  at  Sefula.  If  affection  were  the 
only  consideration  in  the  placing  of  the  workers,  he  would 
always  remain  with  me.  I  like  his  uprightness  ;  I  admire  his 
courage  and  faithfulness  ;  and  I  feel  myself  attracted  by  his 
inner  life — a  rare  thing  in  a  native,  but  this  is  what  gives  him  his 
power.  I  have  said  that  school-teaching  is  not  his  strong  point, 
but  as  an  evangelist  I  have  never  found  his  equal.  He  is  an 
original  and  magnetic  preacher — a  priceless  gift  to  Barotsi-land 
from  the  Church  of  Massitissi.  Jacob  and  his  wife  are  both  from 
Morija,  and  are  valuable  helpers  and  friends  ;  they  call  them- 
selves our  "  children."  They  are  calm,  undemonstrative  people, 
but  clean,  tidy,  always  pleasant,  and  always  ready  to  do  a  service 
without  being  officious. 

The  most  serious  of  my  difficulties  is — cow-dung,  our  mortar 
here  as  in  Basuto-land.  I  have  no  cattle  on  the  place,  and  the 
few  which  the  natives  keep  are  not  enough  to  supply  the  hundreds 
of  households  in  which  the  floors  and  walls  have  to  be  renewed 
or  in  which  work  has  simply  to  be  found  for  the  slaves.     The 


1893]  THE    NEW    YEAR 


499 


superstition  of  these  poor  people  forbids  women,  at  any  rate  at 
certain  times,  to  enter  the  cow-sheds :  only  men  have  that 
prerogative.  Moreover,  the  precious  article  must  be  collected 
before  the  cattle  come  out  of  the  enclosure  to  go  to  pasture,  or 
else  it  will  bring  ill-luck.  This  results  in  my  being  obliged  to 
buy  the  good  graces  of  the  two  men  who  have  charge  of  the 
cow-herds.  But  every  one  courts  their  favour,  and,  in  spite  of 
my  liberality,  I  am  often  not  the  first  to  be  considered.  Then 
there  are  also  several  bits  of  machinery  which  have  to  be  greased — 
several  little  holes  which  let  the  beads  drop  through  and  the 
calico  melt  away  I  That  is  why  these  wretched  huts,  which  are 
so  easily  erected,  keep  us  waiting  such  a  time  before  they  are 
habitable. 

Then,  whilst  the  wind  and  sun  are  doing  their  share  of  the 
work,  it  is  my  turn  to  take  my  flight.  There  is  only  one  place 
where  I  can  go — only  one  which  attracts  me  like  a  magnet. 
It  is  there  that  I  spend  Christmas  and  New  Year's  Day.  Sefula 
is  my  Bethel.  We  took  the  Communion  together.  Two  places 
were  empty :  one  resplendent  with  the  glory  of  life,  like  the 
Lord's  empty  tomb  ;  the  other,  alas  !  dark  and  sad,  like  that  of 
the  disciple  who  betrayed  our  Saviour. 

We  closed  one  year  and  inaugurated  another  by  one  of  those 
meetings  for  edification  and  prayer  which  true  brotherly  com- 
munion and  the  presence  of  God  make  so  sweet.  Our  Methodist 
brethren  were  with  us — a  few  more  glowing  coals  in  our  little 
fire.  We  know  what  1892  was  like:  what  will  1893  be?  God 
knows. 

Lewanika  seemed  impatient  for  my  return,  and  sent  messages 
to  enquire  after  my  health  and  the  cause  of  my  delay.  And 
as  soon  as  I  arrived,  he  hastened  to  come  and  see  me.  Poor 
man !  he  wanted  to  ask  advice  from  some  one  ;  for  he  too  has 
his  anxieties. 

During  my  absence,  rain  had  fallen,  and  the  gales  had  been 
raging  with  such  violence  that  my  camp  was  unrecognisable. 
In  ten  days,  the  grass  and  even  the  brushwood  had  reasserted 
their  rights,  as  if  in  revenge  ;  and  when  we  penetrated  to  the 
tents,  the  smell  of  mouldiness  choked  us.  The  whole  place 
was  a  mass  of  mud,  alive  with  frogs  and  millipedes.  A  hurricane 
had  upset  everything  and  broken  my  crockery.  That  good 
fellow  Paulus  had  pushed  his  scrupulous    fidelity  to  the  point 


500  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

of  even  keeping  the  fragments  of  my  cups  and  plates  !  It  was 
too  much  of  a  good  thing.  I  fled  from  the  ruins,  and  installed 
myself  in  one  of  my  huts,  which  is  scarcely  any  better.  The 
termites,  centipedes,  seuruyi,  warrior-ants,  had  taken  possession 
of  everything  before  my  arrival ;  but  it  was  the  frogs  more 
especially  who  had  made  it  their  rendezvous.  They  were  every- 
where— on  the  ground,  on  the  walls,  in  the  roof  They  fall 
on  one's  head  in  bed,  into  the  dishes  on  the  table  ;  they  are 
not  afraid  of  a  bath  in  a  cup  of  coffee,  and  have  the  impudence 
to  croak  in  my  face  from  the  edge  of  my  inkstand,  now  whilst 
I  am  writing.  This  is  a  prelude  to  the  nocturnal  concert  which 
awaits  me.  It  is  quite  regal.  Lewanika  has  drums,  and  I  have 
frogs  :  both  are  noises  ;  and  one  gets  equally  used  to  either. 

January  lyd,  1893. 
The  rains  have  come  at  last — those  rains  which  have  set  the 
world  of  deities  and  diviners  to  work.  It  rains  every  day,  and 
between  the  showers  the  heat  is  suffocating.  One  would  think 
that  the  sun  takes  its  revenge  for  the  rain  by  drawing  up  the 
moisture  with  a  fierceness  calculated  to  burst  one's  lungs.  We 
live  in  a  vapour  bath,  and,  as  a  result,  colds  and  fevers  are  very 
prevalent.  I  am  not  very  strong,  but  still  I  am  up  and  about. 
I  splash  about  through  the  mud,  for  there  is  mud  everywhere. 
We  found  it  difficult  to  reconcile  ourselves  to  the  sand  at  Sefula 
which  slips  about  under  one's  feet,  but  we  had  forgotten  what 
mud  is.  Give  us  sand  when  it  rains,  and  clay  when  it  is  fine  ! 
I  have  tried  to  combine  the  two.  Every  day,  on  payment  of 
glass  beads,  women  and  girls  bring  me  sand  from  the  plain  to 
fill  up  the  depressions  in  our  little  hill.  It  is  a  work  of  patience, 
but  it  will  transform  the  place,  and  my  successors  will  profit  by 
it.  The  young  men  are  digging  a  deep  ditch,  and  are  making 
a  mound,  which  will  be  a  protection  against  honest  thieves.^  It 
will  make  a  rectangle  of  the  place,  two  hundred  and  twenty 
yards  by  about  a  hundred  and  sixty-five.  An  entrance  is  to  be 
made  for  the  public  and  for  vehicles  ;  and  a  broad  causeway 
describing  a  large  bend,  crossing  the  canal  by  means  of  a  modest 
wooden  bridge,  will  unite  us  to  the  capital,  and  will  enable  us 
to  come  and  go  dryshod  even  in  the  flood  time.  All  this 
work,  together  with  our  buildings,  is  not  done  in  a  day.  But  it 
*  I.e.  thieves  who  shrink  from  daring  much. 


iS93]  VISITORS    AT    LOATILE  5OI 

has  been  begun  ;  and  if  God  preserves  my  health  and  strength, 
all  these  plans  ought  to  be  realised  this  year.  With  taste  and 
energy,  a  young  missionary  coming  later  on  will  be  able  to 
make  a  habitable  place — an  oasis  in  the  midst  of  this  desolate 
plain^out  of  this  Golgotha  of  paganism. 

In  spite  of  all  our  difficulties,  we  have  been  able  little  by 
little  to  obtain  all  our  building  materials,  thatching,  reeds,  etc., 
and  to  bring  over  all  the  grass,  timber,  stakes,  and  planks  that 
we  had  got  together  at  Sefula.  To-day,  the  hollows  in  the  plain 
are  full  of  water,  the  roads  are  covered,  and  transport  is  becoming 
impossible  ;  but  they  are  bringing  us  the  last  load  Soon  we 
shall  be  hemmed  in  and  imprisoned  in  our  islet,  and  every  one 
will  leave  the  capital  for  the  high  land  which  borders  the  plain. 
We  shall  not  ;  but  if  our  health  holds  out  we  shall  devote  our- 
selves to  our  building,  and  get  on  with  the  works.  We  shall 
also  be  free  to  make  evangelising  journeys  and  visits  by  canoe. 

During  this  time,  my  hermit's  cell  has  been  greatly  honoured. 
First,  I  am  no  longer  alone.  My  friend  Waddell  has  finished 
the  preparatory  work  which  kept  him  at  Sefula,  and  has  rejoined 
me.  How  proud  I  was  to  install  him  in  one  of  my  huts,  when 
he  only  expected  a  tent !  For  the  dear  man,  though  he  under- 
goes the  miseries  of  gipsy  life  very  willingly,  does  not  do  it  with 
impunity,  and  he  works  hard.  He  is  simple  in  his  faith,  but 
firm  as  a  rock  ;  and  displays  admirable  fidelity  towards  every 
one,  especially  Lewanika.  Without  him,  I  should  never  have 
been  able  to  undertake  the  establishment  of  this  new  station. 
Our  friends  ought  to  know  this.  In  the  mission  field,  artisans 
have  often  proved  a  deception  and  a  cross  Our  friend  is  one 
of  the  rare  examples  who  glorify  God  by  being  an  honour  to 
their  work. 

He  arrived  with  our  Methodist  brethren,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Buckenham  and  Mr.  Baldwin,  who  came  to  spend  the  first  week 
of  January  with  me.  Their  special  object  was  to  see  the  king, 
and  form  definite  plans  for  the  establishment  of  their  mission 
among  the  Mashukulumboe.  I  had  obtained  his  consent  some 
time  ago  to  the  foundation  of  this  new  work,  in  spite  of  the 
opposition  I  had  had  to  suffer  on  my  own  account.  However 
vacillating  he  may  be,  Lewanika  has  not  broken  the  promise  he 
gave  me  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  has  confirmed  it.  Only,  he  does 
not  wish  our  brothers  to  go  till  the  winter.     He  is  sending  there 


502  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1803 

himself  to  found  a  large  Barotsi  village  ;  and  besides,  the  mission- 
aries are  ivJiitc  ;  and  for  those  who  understand  the  suspicious  mind 
of  these  races,  these  are  both  very  strong  reasons,  among  others, 
for  recommending  patience  and  prudence.  He  has,  moreover, 
resolved  to  prepare  the  roads,  he  says  ;  to  make  every  enquiry 
on  the  route  ;  and  even  to  send  for  some  Mashukulumboe,  who 
will  themselves  conduct  the  missionaries  to  their  country. 

In  announcing  this  piece  of  news  to  you,  I  am  thrilled  with 
gratitude  and  joy.  What  good  and  great  news  it  will  be  for 
all  true  friends  of  Africa,  and  especially  for  those  English 
Christians  who  for  three  years  have  associated  themselves  with 
all  the  trials  of  this  enterprise  !  For  us,  it  means  the  planting 
of  a  new  outpost  for  the  Grand  Army.  We  feel  ourselves 
reinforced.  Another  effort,  and  we  shall  join  hands  with  our 
brethren  at  Garenganze,  and  then  with  those  on  the  Congo  ! 
I  have  only  been  able  to  offer  my  friends  a  very  meagre 
hospitality.  1  fill  very  badly  the  place  in  the  household  of  the 
one  who  has  departed.  And  then  it  rained,  and  my  guests 
were  in  the  mud.  We  were  invaded  by  the  fighting-ants,  who 
more  than  once  forced  one  or  other  of  us  to  flee  from  his  bed, 
and  huddle  himself  (or  herself)  on  the  table  till  daylight.  But 
in  spite  of  all,  Mrs.  Buckenham,  who  suffers  in  one  leg,  told 
me  she  was  rested.  And  then  we  were  able  to  gather  together 
every  day,  and  join  in  prayer. 

After  them,  came  our  party — the  Zambesi  family,  the 
A.  J  alias  and  Mile.  Kiencr.  Another  delightful  ten  days  of  rest 
and  enjoyment.  The  ladies  undertook  the  household  work,  and 
our  brother  Jalla  the  preaching.  Their  stay  had  its  inevitable 
accompaniment  of  torrents  of  rain  and  invasions  of  ants ;  but 
they  were  able  to  return  to  Sefula  without  having  been  ill,  and 
before  the  plain  was  submerged.  It  was  beautiful  to  see  the 
women  from  the  village  coming  to  visit  these  ladies.  The 
hermit's  cell  was  quite  sunny  and  animated,  and  the  good  these 
dear,  kind  friends  have  done  us  still  remains. 

January  ^%th. 

In  my  last  letter,  I  confided  to  you  the  anxieties  which  our 
converts  had  already  given.  That  state  of  things,  alas !  has 
grown  much  worse  since  then.  Lewanika  has  never  been  more 
pleasant  than  since  he  eeased  to  boycott  the  statipn.     He  comes 


'^93]  SAD    RELAPSES  503 

prcUy  often  to  spend  an  afternoon  with  mc,  and  complains  that 
I  do  not  visit  him  oftcncr.  Sometimes,  if  I  am  passini^  through 
the  place,  he  leaves  tlie  lekliothhi  and  invites  mc  in  to  see 
him  ;  and  he  treated  our  visitors  from  Sefnla  with  the  gi-catest 
deference  and  cordiality.  But,  all  the  same,  I  fear  that,  in  spite 
of  all  these  professions  of  friendship,  he  secretly  has  a  hostile 
feeling  towards  us.  He  is  a  full-blooded  Morotsi  !  I  notice 
that  all  the  members  of  his  household  keep  their  distance, 
and  generally  here  the  courtiers  liatter  those  whom  their 
master  honours  with  his  favour.  Few  of  our  former  pupils 
attend  the  meetings.  Seajika  is  still,  alas  !  what  he  always 
has  been — a  chameleon.  Mokamba  (the  one  v.-ho  wept  publicly) 
has  received  a  wife,  and  has  been  promoted  :  on  becoming  one 
of  the  great  chiefs  of  the  country,  he  discovered  that  his 
profession  no  longer  held  good,  and  was  incompatible  with  the 
heathen  practices  which  he  has  not  the  courage  to  resist.  Litia 
has  openly  returned  to  heathenism  and  taken  a  second  wife. 
As  for  Andreas,  my  poor  boy,  he  has  decidedly  made  shipwreck. 
Thanks  to  a  journey  which  he  has  just  made  to  Mangwato, 
and  to  Lewanika's  weakness,  the  prospect  of  becoming  the 
king's  first  son-in-law  has  for  the  moment  escaped  him.  He 
has  taken  a  wife  in  the  heathen  fashion  and  without  telling 
us,  and  has  not  come  near  us  since.  He  enjoys  the  king's 
favour :  it  is  his  misfortune.  Of  those  who  still  remain  to  w^, 
I  dare  not  say  anything :  we  expect  other  defections.  Mas  the 
wind  then,  which  blew  last  year,  raised  nothing  but  chaff?  We 
can  but  cling  tremblingly  to  the  hope  of  keeping  two  or  three 
grains  of  wheat. 

"  All  that  is  very  sad,"  said  Lewanika  the  other  day,  assuming 
a  confidential  and  sympathetic  manner.  "  We  shall  be  looked 
upon  as  children,  as  idiots  and  objects  of  contempt,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  nations.  I  am  certainly  to  blame  in  the  matter, 
since  it  was  I  who  gave  wives  to  these  young  men.  But  who 
can  command  them  to  become  true  believers,  or  forbid  them 
to  forsake  their  faith  ?  But,"  he  added,  shaking  my  hand  warmly, 
"  do  not  give  way  to  sorrow,  my  father ;  they  will  return ! 
They  are  your  children.  And  others  will  come  who  will  be 
the  sort  of  believers  you  seek."  Even  he,  poor  man,  has  made 
many  steps  backward.  He  knows  the  truth  ;  he  has  even  a 
leaning  towards  the  things  of  God,  which  evidently  attract  him. 


504  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

But  the  venom  of  scepticism  ^  poisons  his  better  inclinations, 
and,  as  he  himself  says,  the  chains  he  is  bound  by  render  him 
helpless.  He  bought  dresses  for  all  his  wives,  mantles  and 
fashionable  hats  for  the  principal  ones,  in  view  of  Sunday.  The 
poor  women  dressed  themselves  up  to  show  me  them,  but  to 
come  to  the  service  to-day  would  be  an  unheard-of  infraction 
of  its  dignity  on  the  part  of  the  royal  harem. 

I  am  not  more  valiant  than  I  need  be.  There  are  hours,  known 
to  God,  when  in  the  melancholy  silence  which  surrounds  me 
I  review  these  nine  years  of  ministry  on  the  Zambesi.  I  see 
those  labours,  I  still  feel  those  burning  tears,  and  a  horrible 
oppression  seizes  on  my  heart.  "  Have  I  laboured  in  vain  ? 
Have  I  spent  my  strength  for  nought,  and  in  vain  ? "  If  my 
confidences  grieve  you,  remember  that  the  reality  is  cruel ;  it 
defies  us  shamelessly,  pursues  us,  fixes  itself  on  us  like  a 
vampire — nothing  makes  us  forget  it,  not  even  sleep.  Ah  ! 
I  understand  the  sufferings  of  St.  Paul,  which  he  compares 
to  those  of  childbirth. 

But  shall  we  question  the  mission  which  God  has  entrusted 
to  us  ?  Shall  we  doubt  that  the  Gospel  is  still  the  powei-  of  God 
— for  the  Barotsi  as  well  as  for  all  the  nations  of  the  earth? 
Away  with  such  a  thought !  In  spite  of  all  our  disasters,  I 
have  the  profound  conviction  that  we  have  already  forced  the 
wedge  of  the  Gospel  into  the  social  system  of  this  nation.  It 
is  for  others  to  drive  it  home  with  redoubled  blows,  and  this 
mighty  paganism,  solid  and  formidable  as  it  appears,  will  break 
up,  as  it  has  done  at  all  times  and  in  all  countries.  There  is 
already  more  than  one  breach  which  tells  us  so.  So  do  not 
lose  courage.  The  prodigal  son  may  go  far  and  fall  very  low  ; 
but  his  return  to  his  Father's  house  is  still  possible.  These 
experiences,  hard  and  humiliating  as  they  are,  are  not  peculiar 
to  us.  Our  adorable  Master  has  passed  through  them  ;  St.  Paul 
knew  them,  like  all  the  soldiers  of  the  Cross  whom  God  has 
sent  out  as  pioneers  in  all  centuries.  Only,  when  we  admire 
a  tree  laden  with  ripe,  juicy  fruit,  we  forget  how  many  flowers 
have  perished. 

I   have  read   Mackay's  life,   that   splendid  hero  of  Uganda. 

1  Injected  by  "Alexander  the  coppersmith,"  who  diligently  persuaded 
Lewanika  that  the  Bible  was  merely  a  collection  of  legends,  like  those  of  the 
Baj-otsi  themselves. 


i893]  "QUIT    YOU    LIKE    MEN"  505 

The  book  itself  is  not  satisfactory  ;  it  only  intensifies  one's  desire 
to  know  personally  the  man  "whose  praise  is  in  all  the  Churches." 
But  there  are  pages  and  passages  in  his  letters  which  I  should 
like  to  underline  and  copy  for  our  friends.  In  describing 
Uganda  and  Mtesa,  he  unconsciously  paints  the  Barotsi  people, 
and  draws  Lewanika's  portrait  with  a  master-hand  :  the  same 
duplicity,  the  same  degradation,  the  same  inexpressible  corrup- 
tion, the  same  tyranny  and  cowardice,  the  same  contradictory 
mixture  of  good  and  evil,  the  same  contempt  of  human  life, 
and  I  would  add  and  emphasise  the  words,  the  same  insecurity 
of  property  and  person.  Barotsi-land  is  Uganda  on  a  smaller 
scale.  Our  experiences  pale  beside  those  of  its  heroes.  We  have 
not  yet  been  judged  worthy  of  a  martyr's  crown.  Nevertheless, 
we  have  suffered.  The  very  existence  of  the  mission  hung  only 
by  a  thread.  But  this  thread  was  in  God's  hand.  So,  courage  ! 
The  most  humiliating  reverses  often  precede  the  most  glorious 
successes.  The  battle  may  appear  beyond  our  strength,  but  let 
us  beware  of  laying  down  our  arms.  The  victory  is  none  the 
less  certain  for  being  delayed.  Do  we  not  know  the  voice  which 
rules  the  tumult  of  battle,  and  cries  to  us,  "  Be  of  good  courage  ! 
Lo,  I  have  overcome  the  world  ! " 

"  Wherefore  lift  up  the  hands  which  hang  down,  and  the 
feeble  knees."  "  Quit  you  like  men."  If  the  ground  gives  wa\-' 
like  quicksands  beneath  our  feet,  let  us  cling  to  the  immutable 
promises  of  God,  and  the  Lord  Himself  will  show  us  His  glory, 
even  in  this  stronghold  of  Satan. 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

Clearances  at  Loatile — Forced  Sales — A  Royal  Bargainer — A  New  Boycott — 
The  League  of  Prayer — A  Final  Victory — Women  attending  Church  at 
last — Opening  of  the  School — Course  of  Instruction — The  Church — The 
Causeway — Mokvvae's  Magic  Sovereign — Emulation — Mr.  VVaddell's 
Devotion — Lay-helpers. 

February  2Wi,  1893. 

AM  again  far  from  well,  though  not  exactly  ill.     Difficulties 

and  confusions  are  constantly  recurring,  and  I  confess  that 
I  feel  my  courage  almost  exhausted.     The  struggle  frightens  me. 

My  establishment,  which  is  reduced  to  the  strictest  simplicity, 
is  not  going  on  well.  In  all  sorts  of  details,  I  am  at  the  mercy 
of  three  boys,  of  whose  continued  service  I  am  not  at  all  sure, 
and  to  whom  everything  must  be  taught — the  elements  of 
cooking,  order,  cleanliness,  and  everything  else.  Formerly,  I 
used  not  to  feel  such  thorns,  for  then  they  bore  roses  as 
well.  Now,  only  the  briers  remain,  on  which  I  am  caught  a 
hundred  times  a  day,  especially  when  I  am  ill.  Never  mind  ;  I 
shall  hold  out  as  long  as  I  can  :  but  till  when  ?  If  only  I  could 
finish  the  establishment  of  this  station,  and  then — see  the  glory 
of  God  in  this  miserable  country  where  Satan  reigns  ! 

To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  had  not  thought  it  possible  for  me 
to  grow  seriously  interested  in  anything  on  this  earth  again, 
except  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  ;  and  to  my  great  astonish- 
ment, I  find  myself  absorbed  by  work  which  leaves  me  little 
leisure,  even  when  I  am  well.  My  little  hill  has  already  under- 
gone such  a  transformation  that  the  Methodist  brethren  did 
not  recognise  it  the  last  time  they  came  to  see  me.  There  are, 
no  longer  any  bogs  or  brushwood  ;  the  whole  building  site  even 
is  cleared  and  covered  with  sand.  The  foundations  are  far  from 
being  finished,  but  we   are  vigorously  digging  away  at  them 

506 


1893]  FORCED    SALES  507 

Every  morning  at  daybreak,  troops  of  women,  girls,  and  even 
boys,  jump  into  the  water  like  ducks  (for  the  plain  is  already 
submerged,  and  our  Loatile  has  become  an  island),  and  come  with 
hoes  and  wooden  dishes  to  apply  for  work  in  return  for  a  few 
strings  of  beads.  We  take  forty,  fifty,  even  as  many  as  eighty, 
and  send  back  the  others.  But  they  go  away  grumbling,  and 
return  the  next  day,  nothing  daunted.  We  take  advantage  of 
this  crowd  to  have  a  short  service  with  them  ;  they  attend 
willingly,  for  it  gives  them  a  few  moments'  rest.  But  on  S7inday 
the  water  is  too  deep  and  cold  for  them  to  come  to  the  services  ! 

Mr,  Waddell  is  putting  the  last  touches  to  my  thatched 
cottage.  The  care  which  this  kind  friend  puts  into  this  work 
troubles  me  ;  it  seems  to  me  almost  a  profanation.  But  I  shall 
go,  and  the  house  will  remain  for  some  one  else.  It  will  be  the 
first  dwelling-place  in  Africa  that  I  shall  have  occupied  alone. 
Happily,  it  will  not  be  for  long.  The  last  chapter  ought  to  be 
the  shortest. 

As  for  the  king,  he  is  still  a  weathercock.  Our  relations 
with  each  other  have  again  become  very  nearly  what  they  were 
in  our  best  days — except,  I  must  add,  as  regards  the  confidence 
I  used  to  have  in  him.  The  character  of  the  Zambcsians  is  like 
the  cataracts  of  Musi  oa  Tunya  :  one  cannot  sound  them,  nor 
yet  even  see  the  bottom.  Lewanika  often  visits  me,  and  seems 
interested  in  all  that  goes  on  here.  He  knows  how  to  put  on 
an  appearance  of  great  friendliness,  which  deceives  strangers, 
who  only  see  him  in  his  official  garb,  all  smiles.  I  have  had 
to  battle  for  several  years,  in  order  to  uphold  and  protect  the 
character  of  the  Gospel  ministry,  which  Lewanika  persists  in 
putting  on  a  level  with  that  of  such  traders  as  the  floods  of 
immigration  cast  up  in  this  country  like  scum.  He  thinks  us 
obliged  to  furnish  him  with  everything  he  needs  or  covets,  and 
that  at  his  own  exorbitant  prices.  Thus  he  insists  we  should 
exchange  our  own  provisions  and  barter-goods,  valued  at  the 
current  prices  of  Kimberley,  minus  damages  and  cost  of  trans- 
port, for  canoes  which  he  reckons  at  £$  or  ;^io  in  gold,  and 
bullocks  at  £\2  or  ;^I5,  whether  we  want  them  or  not;  and 
would  force  us  to  sell  him  a  sack  of  coffee  for  £1  which  cost  us 
£\S  and  more.  Woe  betide  the  one  who  allows  himself  to  be 
drawn  in  !  He  has  eaten  his  Majesty  ;  he  has  abused  his 
confidence    and  by  means  of  insults  the  king  ends  by  forcing 


508  ON    THE    TPIRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

his  hand.  And  woe  betide  the  man  who  will  not  buy!  Insults 
are  rained  upon  us  all  then  ;  especially  on  me,  as  I  am  the 
oldest  and  the  nearest  to  him.  "What  good  are  you  all? 
What  benefits  do  you  bring  us?"  he  exclaims  in  his  fits  of 
anger.  "  What  do  I  want  with  a  Gospel  which  gives  neither 
guns,  nor  powder,  nor  coffee,  nor  tea,  nor  sugar,  nor  work- 
men to  work  for  me,  nor  any  of  the  advantages  I  hoped 
for  ? "  And  the  consequence  is  the  boycott  which  he  im- 
mediately establishes  round  us,  after  having  disparaged  us  in 
his  little  circle  of  courtiers.  They  threaten  to  strangle  any 
who  serve  us,  or  dare  to  sell  us  a  dish  of  millet  or  a  pot 
of  flour. 

I  had  just  written  these  words,  when  I  saw  an  exprfcss 
messenger  arriving  from  Sefula.  He  brought  bad  news.  The 
thefts  which  have  been  committed  for  some  time  since  upon 
the  A.  Jallas  have  been  repeated  so  often  and  so  impudently, 
and  have  assumed  such  proportions,  that  they  suggest  an 
organised  pillage.  All  negotiations  with  the  missionaries  are 
forbidden  by  order  of  the  king.  "  All  day  long,"  says  M.  Jalla, 
"  the  station  is  overrun  by  people,  who  are  not  content  with  pre- 
venting all  buying  and  selling,  but  seem  to  cherish  evil  designs 
against  ourselves  as  well."  And  poor  Mme.  Jalla  adds  naively, 
"  It  is  no  good  for  me  to  say  that  we  are  in  God's  hands  :  that 
does  not  prevent  me  from  feeling  frightened."  The  other  day, 
some  poor  men,  who  had  come  from  a  long  way  off  with  their 
little  merchandise,  and  had  not  yet  heard  the  king's  orders,  had 
scarcely  put  their  baskets  down  before  the  mission-house,  when 
a  band  of  men  fell  upon  them,  seized  their  flour,  and  drove 
them  away  with  insults  and  threats.  With  our  Methodist 
brethren  close  by,  things  are  going  on  still  worse.  Their  serving- 
boys,  egged  on  in  a  very  transparent  manner  by  the  king's 
emissaries,  picked  a  quarrel  with  them  for  no  reason  whatever, 
and  demanded  immediate  payment.  Mr.  Buckenham  refused. 
Upon  this  a  great  uproar  arose,  and  one  of  these  young  men, 
armed  with  a  thick  stick,  sprang  at  Mr  Buckenham,  and  dealt 
him  such  a  violent  blow  on  the  head  that  the  wound  bled 
profusely,  whilst  another  took  the  skin  off  his  hands,  *'  And 
when  I  left,"  added  the  messenger,  "  the  excitement  was  at  the 
highest  pitch." 

I   had  believed  myself  to  be  outside  all  these  questions  of 


1S93]  A   BOYCOTT  509 

bargaining.  I  flattered  myself  I  had  at  any  rate  won  tJiat 
battle.  Not  at  all.  The  hostility  has  been  growing  for  some 
time  :  one  would  need  to  be  blind  not  to  see  it.  Lewanika's 
very  demonstrations  of  friendship  warn  us  that  it  is  so.  Last 
Sunday,  in  spite  of  the  fine  weather,  he  did  not  come  to  the 
service.  I  had  scarcely  rung  my  bell,  when  he  rang  his.  He 
was  going  to  the  lekJiothla  with  his  drums  and  all  his  band  of 
music.  No  one,  therefore,  dared  come  to  the  service,  except 
those  who  were  already  there — the  big  chiefs,  who  looked  as 
if  they  were  sitting  on  thorns.  The  next  morning,  I  sent  Paulus 
and  his  colleague  Jacob  to  him,  to  ask  why,  even  if  he  could 
not  or  would  not  come  to  the  preaching,  he  should  have  done 
a  thing  he  never  does — go  and  preside  at  the  kkJiotlda  with  his 
drums,  and  thus  prevent  the  people  from  coming.  For  it  is 
compulsory  for  all  the  men  to  run  to  the  IckJiothla  as  soon  as 
they  hear  his  Majesty's  drums.  He  replied  in  no  measured 
terms  that  he  had  done  it  on  purpose,  because  Mr.  Buckenham 
had  just  refused  to  buy  at  his  own  price  the  oxen  which  he  had 
sent  to  him.  "  What  is  the  use  of  missionaries  who  will  not 
trade  with  me?  What  have  I  to  do  with  such  people?  Tell 
them  that  /  will  starve  than — him  "  {I.e.  myself)  "  as  well  as  the 
others."  And  he  had  already  taken  his  measures  and  sent  his 
orders. 

I  was  in  consternation  ;  for,  having  kept  clear  of  these  trans- 
actions with  Mr.  Buckenham,  I  only  had  a  vague  knowledge  of 
the  questions  at  issue.     I  answered  nothing. 

To-day,  when  he  knew  everything  I  have  been  relating,  he 
sent  me  one  of  his  confidential  servants.  "  I  have  been  waiting 
since  yesterday,"  said  he,  "when  I  sent  you  my  words.  Why 
have  you  nothing  to  reply  ?  Answer  me."  "  Tell  him  that  I 
have  nothing  to  reply  ! "  Then  I  withdrew,  in  order  to  rest.  I 
am  expecting  him  to  come  himself  to-morrow  or  the  day  after. 
And  if  he  does  not  succeed  in  entangling  me  in  a  dispute — from 
which  may  God  preserve  me  ! — he  will  treat  the  matter  lightly, 
after  the  manner  of  the  Barotsi  :  "  Oh,  I  was  only  grumbling ! 
You  white  people  always  take  offence  when  any  one  snaps  out 
at  you.     I  have  snapped  out  ;  it  is  done  with  !  " 

Lewanika  is  a  great  baby — and  a  spoilt  baby  too.  But  he  is 
also  a  mischievous  one — a  child  who  plays  with  fire.  He  is  not 
the  only  one  to  bite  ;  he  lets  loose  all  his  dogs,  and  sets  them  on 


5IO  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

US.  Once  released,  it  is  vain  for  him  to  try  and  hold  them  back  ; 
they  bite  too,  and  that  without  mercy.  Everything  seems  to 
predict  that  we  still  have  a  hard  time  before  us. 

Lewanika  has  judged  me  charitably ;  and  he  has  done  me 
much  honour  in  identifying  me  with  my  friends  at  Sefula, 
and  with  our  Methodist  brethren.  He  has  made  me  share  the 
disgrace  and  the  pricks  he  has  inflicted  on  them.  It  is  becau.se 
he  thinks  we  are  so  entirely  one,  and  he  is  right.  Therefore, 
we  are  strong.  Together  we  will  combat  on  our  knees.  Perhaps 
he  himself  will  soon  see  "  they  that  be  with  us  are  stronger  than 
that  they  that  be  with  them."  Ah !  but  when  I  see  the  clouds 
have  so  long  been  gathering  around  us,  I  cannot  keep  from 
crying  to  the  Sentinel  Who  watches,  Who  neither  slumbers  nor 
sleeps,  "  O  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ? "  A  voice  replies 
through  the  darkness,  "  The  day  cometh."  O  my  God  !  may 
it  be  without  the  return  of  night ! 

My  correspondence,  which  I  only  look  upon  as  a  more  or 
less  instantaneous  photograph  of  what  goes  on  here,  is  with  me 
a  subject  of  much  solicitude  before  God.  But  I  often  reproach 
myself  with  taking  you  too  much  into  my  confidence.  It  is  all 
very  well  when  it  is  a  question  of  our  encouragements  and  joy  ; 
but  this  is  nothing  but  sorrows  and  mortifications — mortifications 
unparalleled  in  South  Africa.  Yet  such  is  our  life.  Why 
should  our  friends  refuse  to  share  it  because  it  is  hard  ?  Is  it 
not  rather  the  moment,  now  or  never,  to  rally  our  ranks,  to 
conquer  or  die?  And  though  Satan  may  seem  to  triumph  now, 
to  mock  at  us  and  baffle  us,  I  have  confidence  in  that  league  of 
prayer  with  which  our  European  friends  encircle  us,  much  more 
than  in  the  little  we  do  here.  I  tell  myself  over  and  over  again, 
that  if  we  believe  we  shall  see  the  glory  of  God. 

March  is/,  1893. 
The  news  from  Sefula  is  no  better.  Lewanika  has  renewed 
his  order  and  threats  in  order  to  stop  provisions  on  all  sides  for 
our  friends  and  myself  (for  they  do  all  my  marketing,  as  I  can 
procure  nothing),  and  to  have  every  one  maltreated  who  dares 
infringe  this  law.  Thus  famine  stares  us  in  the  face,  and  my 
friends  are  already  taking  precautionary  measures  by  sending 
away  all  superfluous  mouths.  Shall  I  also  be  obliged  to  send 
away  my  workmen  and  stop   my  works  ?     It  is  not   the  first 


'893]  A    RECONCILIATION  5  I  1 

time  that  Lewanika  has  tried  this  barbarous  method.  But  God 
will  not  allow  His  servants  to  die  of  hunger.  There  is  always 
water  in  the  fountains  of  Jehovah,  and  ravens  will  never  be 
lacking  to  feed  us. 

Our  Sefula  friends  pay  every  attention  to  their  elder  brother. 
It  is  from  them  that  I  receive  supplies  of  butter,  curds,  eggs, 
etc,  ;  it  is  there  that  they  knead  my  bread,  do  my  washing,  and 
smooth  the  ruggedness  of  my  life,  as  far  as  is  possible  at  six- 
teen or  seventeen  miles'  distance.  Messengers,  too,  often  run 
between  Sefula  and  Loatile,  and  never  without  bringing  some 
kind  message  or  affectionate  word.  VVc  almost  live  a  common 
life.     Every  one  is  so  good  to  me,  and  I  bless  the  Lord  for  it. 

October  I2)^h,  1S93. 

We  had  some  very  stormy  interviews  with  Lewanika.  That 
of  March  loth,  at  which  our  Methodist  friends  Mr.  Buckenham 
and  Mr.  Baldwin  were  present,  was  the  most  terrible  :  it  was 
also  the  last.  He  ended  by  understanding  that  our  refusal 
to  trade  at  his  bidding  and  on  his  terms  was  a  matter  neither 
of  obstinacy  nor  ill-will  on  our  part,  but  of  principle.  Soon 
afterwards,  he  recognised  that  he  was  wrong,  and  gave  in. 
Since  then,  our  relations  have  become  more  and  more  agreeable. 
I  visit  him  of  course,  but  he  often  likes  to  come  and  spend  part 
of  the  day  with  me  to  have  "  a  quiet  chat,"  which  is  not  possible 
at  his  place.^  But  his  heart  is  not  touched  ;  his  conscience 
is  not  awakened. 

Still,  I  had  not  yet  succeeded  in  getting  the  women  to  hear 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  this  greatly  distressed  me. 
As  soon  as  the  princesses  cease  coming,  no  other  woman  would 
dare  to  do  so.  We  enlarged  our  tent  for  their  benefit  ;  I  set 
myself  to  visit  them  ;  and  in  order  that  they  should  not  shelter 
themselves  behind  the  king,  I  pleaded  with  them  before  him, 
to  such  good  purpose  that  they  ended  by  yielding.  One  day, 
I  saw  them  coming,  got  up  in  the  most  extraordinary  costumes  ; 
but  their  courage  failed  them  at  the  sight  of  the  king  and 
congregation,  and  they  fled  to  the  catechists'  courtyard.  They 
came  another  day,  but  hid  themselves  behind  the  reed  partition 

'  One  day,  as  he  was  reluctantly  taking  leave,  Lewanika  looked  round  the 
missionary's  room  and  said,  "This  is  my  home;  I  have  no  other.  I  liave 
twenty-one  wives,  but  no  home  ! " 


512  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1893 

of  our  "  tabernacle."  Another  time  the  evangelist  and  Mr. 
Waddell  succeeded  in  making  them  sit  half  facing  the  assembly 
at  some  distance  off.  The  following  Sunday  they  arrived  late 
as  usual,  whilst  we  were  singing,  and  the  slaves  unrolled  their 
mats  in  the  same  spot  with  a  great  deal  of  noise  and  ostentation. 
I  left  my  place — or  descended  from  the  pulpit,  if  you  prefer 
to  put  it  that  way — went  up  to  them,  took  the  mats,  and  spread 
them  out  near  me  on  my  left.  The  poor  ladies  looked  at  each 
with  stupefaction,  then  at  me  entreatingly,  while  the  king  roared 
with  laughter,  and  the  petrified  congregation  stopped  singing 
and  preserved  a  stolid  silence,  with  staring  eyes  and  gaping 
mouths.  I  remained  unmoved,  and  without  another  word 
signed  to  them  to  sit  down.  At  last  they  did  so,  and  the 
service  continued.  The  victory  was  won.  Since  then,  those 
who  come  always  sit  tJiere,  and  I  have  no  more  attentive 
listeners. 

Each  of  these  ladies  and  each  child  of  royal  blood  must 
have  a  mat  with  a  good  margin  all  round.  But  patience !  The 
days  of  mats  too  are  numbered  ;  they  will  disappear  in  their 
turn,  and  princes  and  princesses  will  learn  to  sit  down  like 
every  one  else  in  God's  house. 

Besides  the  women,  I  should  have  liked  to  reach  the  children. 
But  how  ?  One  day,  taking  advantage  of  the  king's  favourable 
mood,  I  spoke  to  him  of  the  great  wish  I  had  to  start  a  school. 
"  Very  well,"  he  said  ;  "  fix  a  day,"  "  To-morrow."  "  Good  ;  it 
shall  be  to-morrow," 

The  next  day,  a  Monday,  turned  out  a  wretched  winter  day. 
I  looked  sadly  at  the  sheet  of  water  and  the  marsh  between  us 
and  the  village,  and  I  asked  myself  if  I  had  not  been  a  little 
rash.  All  the  same,  I  rang  the  bell,  and  soon  troops  of  children, 
big  boys  and  girls,  ran  from  the  village,  and  some  in  canoes, 
others  wading  through  the  water  and  splashing  through  the 
mud,  arrived  breathless,  and  planted  themselves  in  front  of  us. 
"  A'^  rona !"  (Here  we  are!")  they  cried,  as  if  they  had  been 
awaiting  the  signal  for  a  long  time.  A  man,  who  was  more 
sedate,  presented  them  to  us  in  the  king's  name.  They  were 
mostly  his  servants  and  children,  with  their  numerous  followers. 
I  took  down  more  than  seventy  names,  and  a  few  days  later 
the  number  had  exceeded  a  hundred  and  seventy  !  I  expected  a 
great  diminution  when  the  novelty  should  have  worn  off,  and 


J893]  LEALUVI    CHURCH  513 

a  diminution  there  was  ;  but  till  just  lately  wc  have  had  an 
average  of  from  a  hundred  and  ten  to  a  hundred  and  twelve  pupils. 
From  necessity  as  much  as  from  principle,  I  left  the  responsibility 
of  this  school  to  our  good  Jacob  and  his  excellent  wife.  My 
dear  brother  Adolphe  J  alia  lent  me  the  services  of  the  evano-clist 
Paulus  Kanedi,  who  has  developed  gifts  for  teaching  which  I 
did  not  know  he  possessed  ;  and  with  myself  assisting  as  far  as 
possible,  the  school  has  become  full  of  life  and  interest,  in  spite 
of  many  still  unfavourable  circumstances. 

The  basis  of  instruction  is  necessarily  Bible  history,  reading, 
writing,  and  a  little  arithmetic.  But  I  attach  great  importance 
to  singing,  and  in  my  eyes  it  is  second  only  to  the  Bible. 
Experience  has  shown  me  more  than  once  that  the  simplest 
hymns,  saturated  with  the  Gospel,  are  like  certain  kinds  of  seed 
in  this  country,  to  which  God  has  given  wings.  When  they  are 
ripe  the  pods  burst,  and  they  are  carried  about  by  the  wind, 
no  one  knows  whither.  Some,  the  greater  number  probably, 
are  lost ;  but  who  knows  ? — one,  a  single  one,  may  fall  in  some 
favourable  spot,  unknown,  and  there  germinate,  become  a  great 
tree,  and  bear  seed  in  its  turn — seed  with  wings !  Thus,  even 
though  the  Barotsi  sing  like  crows,  and  are  very  little  in  earnest 
about  it,  we  sing,  and  sing  a  great  deal. 

I  have  also  been  led  to  take  up  evangelisation  in  the  homes — 
a  very  difficult  work,  but  all  the  more  interesting  on  that  account  ; 
and  the  good  that  can  be  done  in  this  way  has  greatly  impressed 
me.  Unfortunately,  my  efforts  have  been  limited  by  our 
numerous  material  labours,  of  which  I  must  say  a  few  words. 
Waddell  prepared  a  little  cottage  with  a  single  room  for  me. 
That  done,  we  concentrated  our  efforts  on  the  building  of  the 
church,  of  which  the  framework  and  part  of  the  materials  had 
been  prepared  at  Sefula.  It  is  sixty  feet  long  by  thirty-three 
broad,  lighted  by  thirteen  windows.  The  roof  is  supported  by 
eight  strong  pillars,  and  a  porch  with  two  doors  completes  it. 
The  walls,  made  of  enormous  logs  of  a  certain  hard  wood  which 
resists  the  ants'  mandibles,  rest  on  sockets  of  the  same  wood  ; 
the  interstices  are  filled  in  with  reeds,  and  the  whole  is  white- 
washed and  plastered,  which  gives  it  an  appearance  of  solidity. 
We  have  taken  every  precaution  possible  to  secure  its  lasting. 
The  whole  piece  of  ground  which  it  occupies  was  dug  out  first 
to  a  depth  of  two  or  three  feet,  and  then  filled  with  fine  sand 

33 


514  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

brought  from  the  plain  ;  each  piece  of  wood  which  the  ground 
covers  has  been  carefully  tarred.  This  building,  which  ought 
to  be  furnished  with  benches,  will  be  the  marvel  of  the  country, 
be  it  said  to  the  honour  of  our  friend  Waddell,  who  has  put  all 
his  heart  and  strength  into  the  work.  May  it  soon  be  too 
small !  And  above  all,  may  we  have  the  joy  of  being  able  to  say 
of  many  of  our  dear  Barotsi  one  day,  "  This  and  that  man  was 
born  in  her  "  ! ' 

Another  piece  of  work,  much  greater  than  I  had  at  first 
supposed,  is  the  causeway,  which,  forming  half  of  an  elongated 
ellipse,  will  allow  us  to  communicate  with  the  town  dryshod  in 
bad  weather.  Strange  !  women  and  children  can  even  in  winter 
splash  through  mud  and  water  for  the  sake  of  selling  a  little 
flour  or  getting  a  few  beads,  and  the  men  do  not  hesitate  to  do 
the  same  thing  in  order  to  come  and  lounge  about — a  thing  I  do 
not  encourage  ;  but  on  Sunday  it  is  cold,  they  are  afraid  of 
the  water,  they  have  no  canoes,  and  how  can  they  come  to  the 
preaching  ?  And  it  is  just  to  do  away  with  all  such  pretexts 
that  I  have  begun  my  causeway. 

Our  Barotsi,  though  they  have  plenty  of  bad  qualities,  are 
clever  with  their  hands  and  industrious.  When  they  saw  us 
building  at  Sefula  with  the  materials  of  the  country,  they  said 
that  they  could  do  as  well  themselves  ;  and,  in  fact,  Lewanika  has 
now  a  larger  and  finer  house  than  that  at  Sefula.  The  queen's 
envy  was  excited,  and  her  house  in  its  turn  is  larger  and  finer 
than  her  brother's.  And  then  Litia  and  Katoka  must  each  have 
one,  and  Mpololoa  is  going  to  have  her  own  built.  Of  course, 
they  applied  to  me  for  all  the  nails  and  ironwork.  What  should 
Mokwae  do  one  day  but  send  me  by  some  of  her  highest 
dignitaries  a  gold  sovereign !  How  it  ever  came  into  her 
possession  I  don't  know.  She  thought  the  sight  of  this  piece  of 
gold  would  have  a  magic  effect  on  me,  and  induce  me  to  give 
her  in  exchange  not  only  all  the  nails  necessary  for  her  building, 
but  also  locks,  door,  windows,  even  furniture  into  the  bargain, 
not  forgetting  the  looking-glass !  Lewanika  was  more  reason- 
able. He  knew  I  had  no  more  nails.  I  gave  him  one  as  a 
pattern,  and  since  then  his  blacksmiths  have  made  them  for 
him  in  all  sizes,  and  the  same  with  spades. 

It  is  the  same  thing  with  the  canal.     When  they  saw  me 
'  Ps.  Ixxxvii.  5. 


i893l  THE    CAUSEWAY  515 

making  mine  with  a  handful  of  workmen,  they  said  to  chcmsclvcs, 
"  We  can  do  something  better."  And  they  did.  Thanks  to 
the  thousands  of  hands  which  they  can  command,  not  only  docs 
the  canal  at  the  present  time  put  the  capital  in  communication 
with  the  river,  but  it  is  continued  through  the  hills  and  woods 
to  the  lakes  and  a  little  river,  which  will  make  it  a  perpetual 
watercourse,  while  at  the  same  time  it  drains  the  marshes,  and 
has  changed  them  into  fertile  fields.  Even  to-day,  at  the  height 
of  the  dry  season,  it  is  flowing,  and  the  canoes  pass  proudly  up 
and  down  it. 

And  it  is  the  same  thing  with  my  causeway.  Stirred  up  by 
emulation,  Lewanika  wished  to  share  the  work  with  me.  He 
will  bring  his  part  of  it  as  far  as  the  canal,  to  which  mine  leads 
from  the  station,  and  we  shall  there  construct  a  little  foot-bridge. 
You  should  see  the  enthusiasm  with  which  these  young  men, 
from  a  hundred  to  a  hundred  and  fifty,  divided  into  shifts,  work 
all  the  afternoon,  digging,  carrying  turfs  in  their  hands,  and 
working  to  the  time  of  their  wild  songs.  I  make  a  very  poor 
show  with  my  handful  of  hired  men,  one  or  two  pickaxes,  and 
six  or  seven  spades,  notched  and  broken.  Wiiat  would  I  not 
give  to  have  some  spades  !  They  will  come — but  when  I  have 
no  longer  any  use  for  them.  Never  mind  !  the  work  advances 
little  by  little,  and  I  buoy  myself  up  with  the  hope  that  it  will 
be  done  before  the  floods.  No  one  who  has  not  seen  it  can 
have  any  idea  of  the  work  accomplished,  and  we  .should  never 
have  been  able  to  undertake  it  without  the  saw-bench  given  by 
our  Scottish  friends. 

Besides  the  preparatory  work  done  at  Scfula,  in  the  forest, 
and  at  the  saw-bench  during  a  whole  year,  without  counting 
the  thatch  and  the  reeds  which  I  was  able  to  buy  on  the  station 
itself,  without  counting  either  the  hundreds  of  women  and 
children  who  for  months  at  a  time  have  done  a  good  share 
of  the  work,  we  have  during  this  time  employed  more  than 
two  hundred  and  fifty  workmen,  each  for  a  month,  costing  on 
an  average  from  los.  to  i^s.  per  month,  including  food  and  wages. 

The  sum  of  ;!^300,  which  a  friend  in  London  (Mrs.  H ) 

had  specially  devoted  to  the  construction  of  a  dwelling-house, 
had  already  been  partly  used  for  the  purchase  of  materials  and 
fittings — nails,  screws,  paint,  window-panes,  etc.  The  rest  will 
defray  the  cost  of  the  church.     Other  gifts,  and  my  personal 


5l6  ON    THE    THRESHOLD    OF    CENTRAL    AFRICA  [1893 

provision    of    cloth,    will    cover    all    expenses,    including    Mr. 
Waddell's  wages.     This  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  me. 

Mr.  Waddell  is  going  to  Scotland.  He  has  well  earned 
this  rest.  Devoted  as  he  was  personally  to  my  dear  wife  and 
myself,  it  is  for  the  mission  that  he  has  toiled  and  exhausted 
his  strength.^  Mr.  Waddell  is  not  an  ordinary  workman.  When 
I  think  of  his  capacities  as  a  cabinet-maker,  of  the  wages  which 
he  was  earning,  of  all  the  efforts  which  were  made  to  secure 
his  services,  I  say  that  this  man,  in  giving  himself  as  he  did 
to  our  mission,  which  was  still  only  a  project,  has  given  us 
a  splendid  example  of  self-sacrifice.  Far  be  it  from  me  to 
sound  his  praises !  The  work  of  his  hands  does  that — a  colossal 
work  (let  me  use  the  word  ;  it  is  not  too  strong),  an  incessant 
labour  for  nearly  ten  years.  We  have  had  missionary  helpers 
of  that  stamp,  such  as  Gosselin  and  Maeder,  but  they  are  rare. 
It  is  because  it  needs  a  more  than  ordinary  measure  of  grace 
cheerfully  to  occupy  this  humble  place  in  the  mission  field,  and 
to  glorify  God  in  it.  It  is  a  living  illustration  of  that  beautiful 
word,  "  Mind  not  high  things  ! " 

So  now  you  know  our  present  situation.  There  is  nothing 
brilliant  to  record,  alas ! — no  conversions,  and  no  return  as  yet 
of  the  wanderers  I  am  still  sorrowing  over.  But  the  sky  has 
cleared,  at  any  rate  for  a  time. 

One  word  more  in  closing.  You  know  of  my  illness,  and 
all  the  affectionate  care  with  which  my  friends  at  Sefula  have 
surrounded  me.  I  will  say  with  Daniel,  "  And  I  fainted  and 
was  sick  certain  days :  afterwards  I  rose  up  and  did  the  King's 
business."  Nevertheless,  the  thought  has  firmly  possessed  me 
that  the  time  is  short.  I  suffer  in  thinking  of  the  little  that  I 
do,  the  little  that  we  have  done,  and  the  much  that  still  remains. 
When  I  review  the  missionary  field,  and  hear  from  all  sides  the 
joyful  songs  of  the  reapers,  I  ask  myself  sadly  why  we,  after  nine 
years'  labour,  have  still  to  be  painfully  ploughing  and  sowing 
our  seed  with  tears  !  I  do  not  speak  of  Japan,  nor  Corea,  nor 
the  South  Seas,  nor  of  Tclegu,  where  Christians  are  baptised  by 
thousands.  I  pass  over  no  less  interesting  corners  of  the  field, 
and  halt  at  the  Congo,  where  the  climate  has  made  so  many 

'  Sad  to  say,  since  his  return  to  Scotland,  Mr.  Waddell's  health  has 
completely  given  way,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  he  will  ever  be  able  to  return 
to  Africa,  much  as  he  himself  desires  it. 


1893]  THE    CONGO-BALOLO    MISSION  517 

victims,  and  where  the  Gospel  has  saved  so  many  souls !  There 
are  missionaries  who  have  only  been  four  years  among  the 
Balolo,  and  already  there  are  some  Balolo  Christians.  Explain 
me  this  phenomenon  !  The  facts  are  there.  Are  we  not  preach- 
ing the  same  Gospel  ?  Are  we  not  dealing  with  the  same  race? 
We  are  longing  to  travel  throughout  the  country,  to  publish 
the  good  news  of  salvation  everywhere.  But  we  are  nailed 
to  our  respective  stations  :  impossible  to  move.  I  grieve  over 
our  small  numbers.     What  arc  they  among  so  many  ? 


CHAPTER    XXXin 

Tlie  Mail  lost — The  Primitive  ?>Iethocli&t  Missionaries — Absence  of  Skilled 
or  Unskilled  Labour — Procuring  Thatch — Construction  of  the  Causeway 
— The  Bridge — Termites  again — An  Important  Oucition  of  Fashion  in 
Beads — The  Rainy  Season — The  Water-su|>ply — The  Ab5'ssinian  Well 
— A  Terrible  Disappointment — The  Matabele  Invasion — Faint-hearted 
Patriots. 

May  (?  2nd)  1894. 

IT  was  9  p.m.  on  Saturday  evening.  We  had  just  left  our 
little  prayer  meeting,  when  a  messenger  was  announced  to 
me  from  Sefula.  "  Ah !  that  is  good  ;  the  post  at  last ! " 
I  opened  the  packet,  which  was  not  large.  Nothing  from 
Europe  !  I  tore  open  the  envelopes  from  Kazungula,  Seshckc, 
and  Sefula.  My  breath  was  taken  away !  The  whole  of 
our  March  budget  sunk  in  the  Mambova  Rapids,  and  lost  for 
ever!  The  Adolphe  Jallas'  correspondence.  Mile.  Kiener's 
and  mine,  my  business  letters  and  cheques,  a  banknote  for 
iJ'io,  my  long  letter  to  you,  my  friends — the  whole  lost,  hope- 
lessly lost !  What  consternation  !  Why  does  God  allow  these 
misfortunes  to  happen  to  a  correspondence  which  is  the  object 
of  so  much  solicitude  and  prayer  on  both  sides  ? 

It  often  happens  that  our  letters  from  Europe  make  excursions 
to  Mashona-land,  and  even  to  Mozambique  and  Ouilimane  ! 
And  then,  after  lying  forgotten  and  mildewed  in  some  corner, 
and  after  having  been  sent  from  pillar  to  post  all  over  the 
continent,  they  reach  us,  like  flotsam,  with  torn  envelopes  and 
addresses  covered  with  obliterated  stamps — fortunate  if  they 
arrive  at  all.  But  their  precious  messages  have  lost  nothing  of 
their  freshness  or  perfume. 

Our  friends  the  Primitive  Methodists  have  experienced  the 
same  vicissitudes  of  correspondence  as  ourselves.  Our  poor 
friends  have  had  far  greater  difficulties  than  we.     They  left  us 

518 


'S94]  THE   LABOUR   PROULEM 


519 


at  the  end  of  June  (1893),  and  only  reached  the  Mashukulumboe 
country  at  the  end  of  December.  While  I  admire  our  brother 
Buckenham  for  his  energy,  perseverance,  and  manual  skill,  which 
altogether  have  been  the  salvation  of  his  expedition,  and  our 
young  brother  Baldwin  for  his  gentleness,  his  deep  and  intel- 
ligent piety,  and  his  modesty,  I  must  say  Mrs.  Ikickenham's 
patience  edifies  me  profoundly.  The  title  of  hero  must  not  be 
lightly  bestowed  ;  all  are  not  heroes  who  appear  so.  There 
are  heroes  in  the  shade  who  suffer  and  struggle  in  silence. 
We  know  nothing  about  them,  but  God  does  ;  and  I  think 
our  sister  is  one  of  them.*  I  am  in  full  sympathy  with  our 
brothers  in  their  great  enterprise.  As  you  know,  I  was  one 
with  them  from  the  beginning  in  heart  and  prayers,  and  I 
follow  them  with  all  the  affection  of  which  I  am  capable.  The 
Master's  work  is  everywhere  ours  ;  the  battle  waged  with  the 
common  foe  is  His,  whatever  may  be  the  colours  of  the  flag 
under  which  our  brethren  are  fighting. 

Let  us  return  to  the  point  where  my  last  report  left  off. 

What  so  greatly  complicates  missionary  life,  on  the  Zambesi 
more  than  anywhere  else,  is  the  manual  labour.  Not  only  are 
we  without  the  help  of  artisans — with  the  exception  of  Waddell 
— but  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  obtain,  as  elsewhere,  the  aid  of 
workmen,  trained  or  untrained,  or  even  of  European  vagabonds. 
There  are  none  in  the  country.  It  is  vain  to  aim  at  simplicity, 
and  to  be  content  with  little  ;  in  a  country  like  this,  where  every- 
thing has  to  be  created,  this  labour  forces  itself  upon  one,  and 
forms  one  of  the  important  factors  of  civilised  education  for 
the  people  committed  to  us.  For  myself,  I  have  had  one  of  the 
rarest  blessings  which  a  missionary  can  enjoy  in  Mr.  Waddell's 
help.  But  I  cannot  bear  to  see  my  young  colleagues,  for  want 
of  help,  using  up  the  best  years  of  their  life,  to  the  detriment 
of  evangelisation,  in  rough  work  which  they  have  never  before 
attempted,  under  a  weakening  and  deadly  climate.  Among 
our  mission  workers,  no  name  is  engraved  with  deeper  affection 
and  esteem  than  that  of  Gosselin,  a  simple  mason,  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Basuto  Mission.  But  his  mantle  has  not 
fallen  on   any   earnest   young   artisan   or   technical   expert   in 

'  Mrs.  Buckenham  returned  to  England  in  1S96,  liaving  lost  her  healtii,  her 
husband,  and  her  only  child  in  Africa. 


520  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

France.  Yet  Mackay  of  Uganda  is  an  example  well  calculated 
to  stimulate  self-devotion,  and  I  am  jealous  for  my  country. 

We  count  here  by  season  and  years  as  you  in  Europe  do 
by  weeks  and  months.  All  outdoor  work  has  to  be  finished 
in  a  given  time — that  is,  during  the  dry  season.  The  rainy 
season,  followed  by  the  flood,  makes  it  almost  impossible  for 
several  months.  So  we  are  obliged  to  make  the  very  most  of 
the  last  days  of  the  dry  weather.  And  I  had  set  my  heart 
on  building  the  mission-house  at  Lealuyi,  One  day  I  accidentally 
made  the  sad  discovery  that  nearly  all  the  thatching  I  had 
secured  at  Sefula  and  laid  by,  was  rotten.  It  was  rather  late : 
the  plain  was  on  fire ;  and,  in  our  jungles,  nothing  stops  these 
fearful  conflagrations,  and  nothing  escapes  them.  Lewanika, 
in  order  to  help  me,  hastened  to  find  out  whether  the  Moruti 
was  in  want  of  grass.  They  soon  brought  me  some  from 
different  places  ;  but  these  people,  born  traders  and  hagglers ^ 
never  fail  to  take  advantage  of  one's  distress  If  I  remember 
rightly,  the  practice  is  not  peculiar  to  Barotsi-land  !  A  bundle, 
or  rather  a  large  handful,  for  a  setsiba,  two  and  a  half  yards  of 
cloth  !  It  was  Hobson's  choice :  take  it  or  leave  it.  I  left  it, 
without  hesitation.  Our  Barotsi  need  lessons  in  commercial 
morality.  So  I  mounted  Grisette,  and  went  to  Sefula.  I 
announced  my  prices,  which  varied  according  to  circumstances. 
There  was  a  general  emulation,  and  all  set  to  work  vying  with 
each  other. 

Here  and  there,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  forest,  along  the 
ditches,  they  gathered,  handful  by  handful,  blade  by  blade,  the 
precious  grass  which,  as  if  by  a  miracle,  had  escaped  the  flames. 
In  three  weeks,  the  supply  was  complete.  Of  course,  I  could 
not  remain  away  from  Lealuyi  all  that  time,  and  Mme.  A.  Jalla 
very  kindly  charged  herself  with  all  the  worry  and  vexation 
of  the  negotiation.  This  service,  which  is  pleasant  only  when 
performed  for  others,  is  certainly  not  the  sole  one  for  which  I 
am  under  obligations  to  her.  We  had  such  a  scarcity  of  pro- 
visions that  our  friends  at  Sefula  were  forced  to  reduce  their 
staff.  I  myself  could  not  do  this  without  completely  stopping 
all  the  building.  When  my  provisions  were  exhausted,  Mme. 
Jalla  was  once  more  my  providence.  Many  a  time  I  had  been 
asking  myself  what  I  should  give  to  my  troop  of  workmen 
in  the  evening,  when  a  little  manioc  flour  arrived  just  in  time 


i«94]  THE  foot-j;kidge  521 

from  Sefula.  And  these  friends  sent  me  everything,  keeping 
nothing  in  reserve  for  themselves.  They  lived  from  hand  to 
mouth  ;  after  the  morning  meal,  they  trusted  to  God  for  the 
evening  one.  Well,  be  it  said  to  the  glory  of  our  heavenly 
Father,  neither  they  nor  I,  nor  of  course  our  people,  ever  lacked 
a  single  meal. 

Do  you  remember  the  projected  causeway  which  was  to  join 
the  station  to  the  village  ?  We  were  to  share  the  work  with 
the  king.  He,  like  a  true  African,  never  in  a  hurry,  took  the 
matter  very  calmly.  "  If  it  is  not  finished  this  year,  it  will  be 
done  next."  That  is  not  my  principle.  I  was  determined  to 
have  done  with  it  this  year.  But  with  my  seven  or  eight 
notched,  broken,  and  mended  spades,  the  work  did  not  advance 
quickly.  Happily,  my  little  band  of  workmen  made  up  for  this 
by  a  fit  of  somewhat  rare  willingness  ;  so  much  so,  that  we  were 
able  to  bring  the  work  to  a  close  well  before  the  heavy  rains. 

The  king,  also,  took  the  matter  seriously  in  hand.  Under 
the  guidance  of  one  of  his  principal  servants,  Mokanoa,  an 
intelligent  and  active  man,  he  set  all  his  young  men  to  work. 
You  should  see  them,  as  soon  as  dawn  breaks,  running  at  the 
sound  of  Mokanoa's  bell,  and,  without  other  tools  than  a  few 
roughly  made  wooden  spades  with  which  to  break  up  the  clods, 
and  their  own  arms  to  carry  them,  come  and  go  in  parties, 
singing.  It  is  just  like  an  ants'  nest.  Do  you  notice  that 
sudden  commotion  interrupting  the  work  ?  Do  you  hear  that 
uproar,  that  confused  sound  of  voices,  that  deafening  applause  ? 
One  of  the  number  has  arrived  too  late,  and  the  young  men 
are  amusing  themselves  by  throttling  him  on  the  spot.  It  is 
an  every-day  diversion.  The  one  who  is  throttled  to-day  will 
be  on  the  qui-vive  to  revenge  himself  upon  one  of  his  friends 
who  in  his  turn  may  be  too  late  to-morrow.  It  is  thus  that 
the  causeuay  on  the  side  of  the  village  rises  and  advances. 
They  claim  to  work  better  than  we  do  ;  and  I  do  not  dispute 
that  at  all. 

The  causeway  finished  on  cither  side  of  the  canal,  we  require 
a  bridge.  A  bridge?  Let  us  be  more  modest — a  little  foot-bridge 
{passcrelk).  Waddcll,  with  his  assistants,  worked  at  it  for  a 
fortnight.  To  look  at  it,  you  would  never  believe  that ;  it  looks 
so  simple.  Four  enormous  posts  of  a  very  hard  wood,  which 
they  were  certain  would  not  rot,  were  firmly  driven  in  on  the 


522  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

two  banks  of  the  canal  (fifteen  feet  broad  at  that  place),  and 
joined  by  a  well-made  scaffolding  with  strong  bolts.  These 
support  a  planking  raised  like  a  look-out,  ten  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  plain.  It  is  four  feet  wide,  with  a  balustrade  and 
parapets,  simplified  as  much  as  possible  ;  four  steps  on  either 
side ;  and  there  you  have  our  bridge.  You  should  have  seen 
the  interest  with  which  great  and  small,  chiefs  and  slaves, 
assembled  every  day  to  examine  the  details,  and  ascertain  the 
progress  made.  For  the  Barotsi  themselves  construct  bridges 
too.  What  do  they  not  do  ?  I  have  seen  the  remains  of  some 
on  the  Motondo  :  a  few  forked  stakes  stuck  in  at  intervals  over 
the  breadth  of  a  swamp  or  river,  some  poles  thrown  across 
them  without  a  nail  or  even  a  rope,  and  that  is  a  Barotsi  bridge. 
And  over  this  queer  erection,  which  totters  at  the  slightest  touch, 
a  whole  troop — a  whole  army  even — will  creep  in  Indian  file, 
and,  clinging  like  monkeys,  will  crawl,  clamber,  and  reach  the 
other  side.  I  don't  answer  for  accidents.  Nevertheless,  they 
admit  that  ours  is  better — indeed,  monumental.  Without  wishing 
to  boast,  we  share  their  opinion  to  some  extent,  and  think  it 
looks  very  well  in  the  landscape. 

But  the  old  wiseacres  of  the  nation  had  to  be  reckoned  with  ; 
they  could  not  bestow  their  praises  unstinted.  They  swore 
that  the  Barotsi  would  never  dare  to  venture  over  it.  The  very 
thought  of  it  hurt  the  soles  of  their  feet,  and  made  them  feel 
giddy !  All  the  same,  some  valiant  spirits  came  forward  to  risk 
the  attempt.  One  solemnly  seized  the  rail  with  both  hands, 
and  mounted  step  after  step  very  cautiously  ;  while  another,  for 
better  security,  climbed  up  on  all  fours.  But  once  aloft,  how 
marvellous  to  see  the  canoes  pass  to  and  fro  unhindered  beneath 
their  feet,  while  the  eye  lost  itself  in  the  illimitable  expanse 
around  !  Their  delight  tempted  others.  However,  the  big-wigs 
of  the  country  still  pretended  to  prefer  crossing  by  canoe  rather 
than  compromise  their  dignity,  until  they  should  have  a  chance 
of  trying  it  one  day  on  the  sly.  As  for  the  boys,  they  are 
the  same  all  the  world  over.  They  made  fun  of  this  timidity 
swarmed  all  over  the  bridge  before  it  was  finished,  and  soon, 
I  fear,  they  will  be  using  it  as  a  diving-board.  But  the 
education  of  the  public  was  soon  accomplished,  and  the  bridge 
became  the  fashion  ;  so  much  so  that  the  king  took  fright,  and, 
if  I  had  not  intervened  just  in  time,  he  would  have  forbidden 


i894l  TERMITES  523 

the  slaves  to  use  it — indeed,  he  had  already  done  so.  When 
he  found  I  would  not  allow  that,  he  would  never  cross  the  brid^^e 
again.  He  pretended  it  made  him  giddy,  and  likewise  his 
chief  wife  ! 

The  animation  which  reigned  there  from  morning  till  night 
formed  an  agreeable  contrast  to  the  vast  plain,  barren,  silent, 
and  dead.  It  was  a  reflection  ;  and  though  doubtless  a  very  pale 
one,  still  a  pleasant  reflection  of  the  tide  of  European  life.  How 
many  times  have  I  not  stood  before  my  door,  my  eyes  following 
those  little  bands  of  people  wending  over  the  causeway,  and 
climbing  the  bridge,  in  order  to  hear  the  Gospel  ;  and  the  happy 
noisy  troops  of  children,  jumping  and  romping  along  the  road 
on  their  way  to  school  !  If  it  were  not  for  that  causeway  and 
bridge,  how  many  should  we  have,  now  that  the  plain  is 
submerged  ? 

Goaded  on  by  the  flood,  which  gained  ground  every  day,  and 
rose,  rose,  rose,  imperceptibly,  I  began  the  preparatory  works 
necessary  for  the  construction  of  the  dwelling-house,  at  the  same 
time  actively  pushing  on  that  of  the  church,  into  which  also 
Waddell  threw  all  his  heart  and  soul,  as  he  does  into  everything 
he  touches.  We  had  to  excavate  the  site  to  a  depth  of  three 
feet,  and  fill  it  in  with  fine  sand — not,  indeed,  to  stop  the  depreda- 
tions of  the  ants,  but  to  hinder  them  to  some  extent.  For  what 
is  there  that  can  really  stop  these  invincible  dcstro}xrs  ?  During 
one  single  night,  they  gnawed  up  a  pair  of  shoes.  One's  clothes, 
portraits,  and  texts  hanging  on  the  walls,  precious  books  on  the 
shelves  of  the  modest  library,  all  suffer  the  same  fate.  Cases  of 
provisions  too  !  Omit  the  smallest  precaution,  and  when  you  go 
to  open  them  the  chances  are  that  you  will  find  nothing  but  a  little 
damp  earth,  a  whole  colony  of  ants,  and  some  pellicules  of  wood, 
as  light  as  feathers,  instead  of  the  strong  boards  of  which  the 
cases  were  made.  Thieves  can  do  nothing  here  ;  but  these 
formidable  insects  always  work  secretly  and  get  the  better  of 
you.  There  is  no  precaution  which  we  have  not  taken  to  protect 
our  temporary  buildings.  We  char  the  stakes  ;  we  use  tar  v.hcn 
we  have  any  ;  and  on  an  anthill  like  this,  which  is  entirely  their 
work,  wc  raise  our  buildings  upon  a  strong  foundation  of  sand, 
several  feet  in  depth,  which  the  ants  have  more  difficulty  in 
getting  through  than  earth.  It  is  a  great  labour,  but  we  have  no 
other  means  less  expensive  and  more  efficacious  at  hand. 


524  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

The  work  is  done  by  women,  whom  we  pay  by  the  day  with 
white  beads,  the  current  money  of  the  country.  With  a  string 
or  two  of  these  beads  at  the  most,  one  can  get  everything — a 
pickaxe,  a  skin,  or  a  fish ;  it  pays  a  doctor  or  storyteller,  or  pro- 
pitiates the  gods.^  As  long  as  I  had  any,  I  had  a  crowd  of  female 
workers  ;  but  my  supply  ran  out.  I  offered  blue  ones,  which  even 
I  certainly  thought  pretty,  though  I  detest  that  kind  of  thing. 
My  Barotsi  ladies  turned  up  their  noses  and  scoffed  at  the  idea. 
Besides  their  colour,  which  is  not  fashionable,  they  are  accursed, 
and  are  only  known  by  the  sinister  name  of  sa  ku  fa  mareria  ("  the 
death  of  the  kings  ").  They  assert  that  the  great  Sepopa  had 
on  a  necklet  of  them  when  his  subjects  revolted  and  attacked 
him,  and  that  in  his  flight  he  went  to  die  of  his  wounds  on 
the  bank  of  the  river.  How  can  one  reason  with  such  people? 
They  would  not  take  my  sa  ku  fa  niarena  at  a  gift.  Meanwhile, 
the  flood  was  steadily  rising.  Can  you  picture  my  dilemma? 
A  caravan  of  Mambari  from  Bihe  arrived  in  the  nick  of  time. 
With  much  difficulty,  and  as  a  great  favour,  I  was  able  to  obtain 
two  pounds  of  these  precious  beads  for  the  sum  of  ;^i  !  As 
soon  as  they  were  sold  to  me,  the  women  hastened  up.  I  spoke 
conciliatingly  to  them.  I  showed  them  my  little  store,  which 
did  not  fill  a  plate,  and  declared  to  them  that  that  was  all,  and 
that  in  consequence  I  should  be  obliged  to  give  them  half  white 
and  half  blue.  Marvellous  to  relate,  they  trusted  me,  and  began 
working  energetically.  When  the  white  were  finished,  I  offered 
them  the  blue  rather  timidly.  "  The  blue  ones  are  also  beads," 
they  replied,  to  my  great  astonishment.  And  so  the  work  could 
go  on.  In  the  eyes  of  God,  nothing  that  concerns  His  children 
is  insignificant. 

Unfortunately,  we  were  in  the  midst  of  the  rainy  season  ; 
the  flood  was  every  day  diminishing  the  circle  round  my  ant- 

'  The  native  doctors  are  not  all  impostors ;  some  of  them  possess  a  real 
though  empirical  acquaintance  with  indigenous  specifics,  and  even  some 
surgical  skill.  M.  Goy,  who  was  suffering  from  a  tumour  in  the  knee, 
allowed  one  of  these  medicine-men  to  operate  upon  him  in  the  presence  of 
M.  and  Mme.  L.  Jalla.  The  man  set  to  work  with  little  wooden  knives,  and, 
almost  before  they  could  look  round,  had  excised  it  with  remarkable  neatness 
and  dexterity.  Thereupon  he  jumped  up,  and  spat  in  all  their  faces — a  neces- 
sary part  of  the  operation,  it  appeared,  to  ensure  healing  of  the  wound. 
However,  the  missionaries,  as  a  rule,  never  seek  native  medical  attendance, 
because  it  is  indissolubly  mixed  up  with  pagan  practices. 


1894]  WANT   OF    WATER 


525 


hill,  and  the  now  excavated  site  of  the  house  became  a  pond. 
Lewanika  was  moved  at  the  sight,  and  of  his  own  accord  stopped 
the  similar  work  which  he  had  begun  for  himself,  so  as  to  let 
the  women  and  girls  all  come  and  work  for  me.  Every  day 
I  had  an  average  of  one  hundred.  I  divided  them  into  parties, 
putting  my  own  workmen  at  the  head  of  each.  All  these 
parties  went,  returned,  and  crossed  each  other,  beating  with 
reeds  on  their  wooden  bowls  to  the  cadence  of  their  songs. 
But  the  water  still  rose,  and  rose  quickly.  It  spurted  up  at 
every  spadeful,  and  we  disputed  the  sand  and  earth  with  it  inch 
by  inch.  At  last,  one  fine  morning  it  had  flowed  in  and 
covered  everything,  and  our  anthill  was  nothing  but  a  little 
island.  I  was  forced  to  dismiss  my  crowd  of  workers.  They 
were  sorry,  and  so  was  I  ;  but  not  only  had  I  completed  the 
foundations  of  my  house,  I  had  even  made  an  ample  pro- 
vision of  earth  to  daub  and  plaster  it.  In  a  photograph  I  took 
you  can  distinguish  the  heaps,  which  hide  all  but  the  roofs  of 
my  huts. 

One  of  our  great  difficulties  here  at  Lealuyi,  and  a  very 
serious  one,  is  the  entire  absence  of  drinkable  water.  When 
the  plain  is  dried  up,  the  depressions  and  holes  in  the  ground 
form  pools  and  ponds,  which  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time  resist 
the  action  of  our  fiery  sun.  The  thick  muddy  water,  greenish 
and  stagnant,  is  alive  with  frogs,  which  croak  all  night,  and 
at  certain  stages  of  their  existence  invade  us  everywhere — a 
veritable  Egyptian  plague  ;  and  infinite  numbers  of  animalcula^ 
multiply  therein,  only  too  visible  to  the  naked  eye  without  the 
help  of  a  microscope.  There  also  men,  women,  and  children 
repair  to  bathe,  quite  promiscuously  and  unashamed.  Many 
a  time  I  have  seen  them  washing  their  patients  covered  with 
small-pox  before  my  very  eyes.  And  it  is  there,  incredible  as 
it  may  seem,  that  the  slaves  draw  water  for  themselves  and 
for  their  masters.  You  arc  horrified  at  all  this ;  you  try  to 
argue  and  point  out  to  them  one  of  the  causes  of  the  horrible 
diseases  which  prevail  here,  but  are  unknown  in  the  South. 
They  listen  to  you  with  a  stupid  and  scoffing  air ;  and,  pitcher 
on  head  and  body  dripping  from  their  ablutions,  they  run  off 
to  tell  the  story  in  the  village,  and  laugh  at  your  absurdity. 

IVe  arc  rather  more  particular.  The  water  for  the  king  and 
ourselves  is  obtained  from  a  lake  of  fresh  water.     But  the  said 


526  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

lake  is  a  long  way  from  here  :  it  takes  nearly  two  hours  for 
a  good  walker,  which  every  Zambcsian  is,  to  fetch  two  pails, 
and  even  then  they  arrive  half  empty.  And  our  water-carriers 
are  boys  who  only  take  service  with  us  for  a  few  weeks 
at  a  time.  Who  can  be  certain  that  they  take  the  trouble 
to  go  so  far  at  all,  instead  of  getting  the  water  at  the 
first  pool  they  come  to?  Alas!  the  nauseous  smell  of  the 
coffee,  the  subsequent  sickness  and  colic,  leave  little  room  for 
doubt  about  it.  You  scold  him  well  one  day,  and  the  boy 
makes  fun  of  it,  finishes  his  time,  and  leaves  you  ;  his  successor 
does  the  same  ;  and  you  have  to  begin  again,  until,  for  the  sake 
of  peace,  you  end  by  keeping  silent.  My  establishment  is 
necessarily  reduced  to  the  most  modest  scale,  and  my  own 
inconvenience  has  only  a  relative  importance.  But  if  a  fiimily 
were  established  here,  who  can  say  what  enormous  difficulties 
would  be  created  by  the  needs  of  the  bcst-rcgulated  household  ! 

These  considerations  more  than  sufficed  for  me,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  procure  one  of  those  Uibe  zvells  so  well  known  in 
England  and  the  Colonies,  since  they  proved  so  serviceable  in 
the  Abyssinian  Expedition.  A  gift  from  some  generous  friends 
made  the  purchase  possible.  Like  the  saw-mill  and  the  brick- 
making  machine,  it  reached  here  without  the  loss  of  even  a 
screw— a  surprising  fact,  I  assure  you.  Our  friend  Waddell  could 
not  contain  himself  for  joy  on  seeing  it.  "  Two  hours,"  said 
he,  "  and  I  shall  have  set  it  going ! "  I  gave  him  two  days. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  we  have  both  worked  at  it  unremittingly 
from  morning  till  night  for  two  weeks  !  One  pipe  cracked,  and 
another  broke  under  the  repeated  blows  of  the  hammer  ;  it  was 
necessary  to  saw,  and  in  several  places  to  screw,  the  portions 
together  again.  In  the  end,  after  all  these  hopes  and  fears 
and  great  exertions,  we  have  not  succeeded  !  I  am  neither  a 
practical  geologist  nor  a  mechanic,  and  in  my  ignorance  I 
foolishly  supposed  that  I  should  find  abundance  of  pure  water 
at  a  depth  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  The  most  superficial 
examination  should  have  made  me  foresee  a  different  result. 
For  it  is  just  at  this  depth  that  a  bed  of  dense  clay  is  generally 
found,  and  unless  it  can  be  got  through  it  is  impossible  to  find 
water.  You  can  guess  with  what  a  beating  heart  I  sounded 
my  pipes  as  they  were  sunk,  and  finally  saw  the  last  one  go 
down.     I  sounded  again.     Five  feet  of  sand  !     Such  a  business 


iS94]  THE   ABYSSINIAN    WELL  527 

as  it  was  to  pump  that  sand  out  !  By  dint  of  perseverance 
we  succeeded  at  last,  and  you  will  enter  into  our  delight  at 
finding  we  had  five  feet  of  water  in  the  tube.  It  was  short- 
lived, though  ;  for  this  water  once  drawn  (and  it  was  only  hall 
a  bucketful),  the  well  remained  dry  till  the  next  day.  It  was 
impossible  to  go  deeper — I  had  no  more  pipes.  The  inundation 
has  brought  no  change;  the  water  has  not  risen  an  inch.  II 
only  we  could  dig  a  well,  a  real  well,  like  Mr.  Paton  of  Tanna, 
in  the  South  Sea  Islands !  If!  But  for  ifs,  what  might  not 
be  done  ?  However,  I  do  not  admit  that  my  well  is  a  complete 
fiasco.  With  additional  tubes,  I  still  hope  that  one  day  pure 
fresh  water  may  spring  up. 

From  the  month  of  July  till  the  end  of  December  we  lived 
under  constant  alarms.  At  first  vague  and  always  contradictory 
rumours  came  to  us  from  the  South,  from  which  the  indubitable 
fact  stood  out  that  the  Matabcle  had  invaded  the  Batoka 
country.  Eye-witnesses  related — and  it  proved  but  too  true — 
that  they  had  plundered  the  fields,  burnt  the  villages,  mutilated 
and  massacred  the  men,  impaled  the  women,  hung  up  little 
children  by  the  feet  and  roasted  them,  satiated  their  thirst 
for  carnage,  and  committed  nameless  atrocities,  which  the 
pen  refuses  to  describe.  They  added  that,  seized  with  terror, 
all  the  people  from  the  South,  the  chiefs  foremost,  had  fled 
to  the  woods  and  islets — the  fortresses  of  this  country  ;  that 
the  Matabele  had  sacked  Kazungula  and  Sesheke,  and  were 
advancing  by  forced  marches  on  the  capital.  What  had  become 
of  our  colleagues  in  the  midst  of  this  upheaval  ?  No  one 
told  me  a  word.  I  succeeded  with  great  difficulty  in  obtaining 
a  messenger  from  the  king ;  but  he  had  hardly  arrived  at 
Sesheke  when  he  threw  away  our  letters,  and  I  have  not  seen 
him  since. 

It  was  one  Saturday  night  that  the  king,  having  just  left 
me,  received  the  news,  and  hastened  to  tell  me.  The  war- 
drums  began  to  beat,  and  the  men  to  utter  cries  and  fearful 
howls.  What  a  night!  The  next  day,  all  who  could  took 
flight.  The  chiefs  conferred,  and  decided  to  go  out  and  meet 
the  enemy.  All  the  week,  the  king  was  besieged  for  powder, 
and  certainly  his  supply  was  not  inexhaustible.  Assegais  were 
furbished  up,  shields  were  made,  and  iron  bullets  cast  ;  while 
men  came  running  from  all  sides  in  small  bands,  chanting  their 


528  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

valour  on  the  public  square,  and  performing  mock  combats. 
At  the  last  moment,  the  chiefs — doughty  warriors  ! — thought 
better  of  it,  and  discovered  that  it  would  be  wiser  to  retire  to 
the  islets.  "  And  then !  let  the  Matabele  come ;  they  will  see 
that  we  are  Barotsi  ! "  A  stormy  council  was  held.  The  king, 
angered,  declared  he  would  take  the  field  himself.  The  chiefs 
gave  way,  and  went  to  camp  at  Mongu,  five  or  six  miles  from 
here.  However,  at  the  end  of  a  few  days,  not  being  able  to 
get  together  a  sufficient  number  of  soldiers,  they  returned  to 
their  homes.  Lewanika,  once  more  angry,  managed  by  dint 
of  threats  to  reassemble  a  good  number  of  men,  and,  without 
listening  to  the  protestations  of  his  councillors,  began  operations 
in  his  own  way. 

His  plan  was  to  defend  the  fords  of  the  Njoko,  Lumbe, 
and  Ruyi  by  strategic  works,  redoubts  with  loopholes,  of  which 
he  made  me  a  copy  in  miniature  on  the  banks  of  the  canal  on 
his  return.  Where  did  he  get  this  idea  from  ?  I  do  not  know.^ 
To  execute  it,  he  divided  his  army  into  three  corps.  The  works 
finished,  the  want  of  food  and  the  absence  of  fresh  rumours, 
made  him  return  home.  We  did  not  long  enjoy  this  relative 
quietness. 

Khama  sent  word  to  Lewanika  that  war  was  imminent 
between  the  Whites  and  the  Matabele,  and  advised  him  to  guard 
the  fords  of  the  Zambesi.     There  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 

'  Colonel  Baden-Powell,  in  his  "Matabele  Campaign"  (Methuen  1896), 
pp.  480-482  makes  some  observations  which  may  help  to  explain  this,  when  we 
remember  that  all  the  Barotsi  traditions  point  to  the  tribe  having  come  from 
Mashona-land  :  "  Near  Fort  Haynes  (Mashona-land),  one  hundred  and  five 
miles  from  Fort  Salisbury,  were  said  to  be  some  ancient  ruins ;  so  we  rode 
over  to  see  them.  They  were  the  remains  of  an  old  kraal,  strongly  fortified 
with  a  circular  stone  wall,  a  wide  ditch,  and  a  triple  row  of  trees,  which  are 
now  very  big.  It  was  certainly  an  ancient  ruin,  but  not  of  the  class  of  the 
Zimbabye  ruins,  near  Victoria.  .  .  .  Taberer,  Chief  Native  Commissioner, 
attributes  the  fortified  kraals  to  the  Vorosi  people,  wlio  inhabited  the  country 
before  the  Mashona,  and  have  now  disappeared  northwards.  They  are  a  far 
cleverer  race  than  most  South  African  natives.  The  rock  drawings  in 
Mashona-land,  generally  attributed  to  Bushmen,  he  says  are  by  them,  and 
are  superior  to  the  usual  Bushmen's  drawings." 

The  Rev.  A.  Merensky,  writing  in  1871,  says:  "A  guide  of  the  Banyai 
tribe  told  us  much  about  this  mysterious  spot  (Zimbabye)  .  .  .  and  that  a 
populous  black  tribe  had  formerly  dwelt  there,  but  about  fifty  years  before 
had  pone  northward." 


1894]  RETURN   OF   THE   ARMY  529 

issue  of  this  war,  and  they  knew  that  Lobengula's  intention  was 
to  invade  the  Barotsi  country.  Great  then  was  the  danger,  and 
no  one  could  ignore  it  any  longer.  Again  the  war-drums  began 
to  roar,  and  again  panic  seized  everybody.  The  men  held  a 
mockery  of  a  pitso,  in  which  each  tried  to  outdo  the  other  in 
vaunting  his  own  prowess  ;  they  wasted  a  great  deal  of  powder, 
intoxicated  themselves  with  noise,  and  bedizened  themselves 
with  feathers  and  wild-beast  skins,  which  they  really  believed 
invested  them  with  the  courage  and  ferocity,  as  well  as  with  the 
appearance,  of  their  original  owners.  The  excitement  having 
worked  itself  off,  they  again  took  the  field.  Lcwanika  was  to 
stay  behind  ;  but  as  his  son  Litia  left  with  all  the  great  chiefs, 
one  was  justified  in  believing  it  to  be  serious  this  time.  More- 
over, all  the  gods  of  the  country  had  been  consulted,  all  had 
given  their  assent,  and  the  assegais  that  had  been  laid  on  their 
tombs  were  carried  solemnly  at  the  head  of  the  army  as  a 
symbol  of  their  favour.  I  refused  to  be  present  at  their  last 
parade,  but  the  chiefs  all  came  to  salute  me  before  starting. 
I  recommended  them  above  all  to  refrain  from  pillage ;  for, 
in  the  absence  of  a  commissariat,  it  is  by  brigandage  that  such 
an  army  subsists. 

War  despatches  are  unknown  here.  Custom  dictates  that 
an  expedition  once  on  its  way  sends  no  direct  message  to 
the  king  until  it  has  reached  its  destination,  and  accomplished 
its  mission.  He  knows  nothing  of  its  movements  except  what 
rumours  and  passers-by  bring  him.  We  thought  it  far  away  in 
the  country  of  the  Batoka,  when  a  messenger  came  mysteriously 
to  announce  its  return. 

And,  in  fact,  the  next  day  we  saw  the  long  Indian  file  deploy- 
ing and  winding  silently  over  the  plain  till  it  re-entered  the 
town.  What  had  happened  ?  You  might  go  on  guessing  for 
ever.  This  was  the  secret.  They  had  seen  all  sorts  of  bad 
omens — that  is  to  say,  extraordinary  and  inexplicable  things  ; 
here  they  found  a  dead  rabbit,  there  a  land  tortoise,  farther  on  a 
serpent — no  more  was  needed.  Those  braves  who  could  not  con- 
trive to  flee  in  the  night  were  simultaneously  taken  ill,  it  would 
seem,  and  the  whole  army  began  to  melt  away.  The  chiefs  alone, 
upheld  I  believe  by  Litia,  were  trying  to  resist  the  contagion 
of  cowardice,  when  one  night  a  tempest  broke  ;  lightning  struck 

34 


530  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

a  shelter  under  which  were  about  forty  men,  who  all  "  died  "  ! 
Thirty-eight  returned  to  life,  but  two  remained  "  dead."  ^  This 
time,  it  was  all  up  ;  there  could  no  longer  be  any  doubt ;  and 
all  the  chiefs  with  one  accord  raised  the  camp  to  return  to 
their  homes — this  time  for  good.  So  much  the  worse  for  their 
country,  if  it  is  in  danger  !  And  the  saddest  part  of  it  is,  that 
there  was  not  one  voice  raised  in  disapproval — quite  the  contrary. 
Lewanika  was  the  sole  exception  :  and  was  he  in  earnest?  And 
if  the  Matabelc  had  actually  invaded  the  country,  what  Vv'ould 
have  become  of  this  people  and  of  us  ?  But  God  reigns  !  He 
is  full  of  compassion.  In  spite  of  all  the  depravity  of  our  poor, 
benighted,  yet  beloved  Barotsi,  for  them  the  hour  of  judgment 
has  not  yet  struck.  It  is  still  the  time  of  grace  ;  and  we  praise 
Him  for  it.''' 

*  The  Barotsi  use  the  word  "  dead"  for  almost  any  condition  of  helpless- 
ness or  inaction — as,  for  instance,  the  attitude  of  prayer.  Lewanika,  who 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  European  politics,  and  when  the  mail  comes  in 
always  asks  how  the  Franco-Russian  alliance  is  progressing,  remarked  to 
M.  Coillard  one  day,  "I  think  the  French  are  very  like  the  Barotsi ;  they 
are  very  fond  of  kiHing  their  kbtg  "^by  which  he  merely  meant  "  overthrowing 
their  government." 

'  As  to  this  Matabelc  raid,  M.  L.  Jalla  wrote  from  Kazungula:  "I 
decided  [in  September  1893]  to  make  acquaintance  with  the  Batoka,  and  see 
with  my  own  eyes  the  havoc  wrought  by  the  enemy.  I  found  the  chief 
Siakasippa  camped  under  a  shelter  of  branches  at  half-an-hour's  distance 
from  his  village  (which  had  been  burnt),  and  surrounded  by  about  fifty  men 
and  women  wlio  had  escaped  from  the  massacre.  I  only  saw  two  old  men 
and  two  or  three  children  :  all  the  rest  had  perished  miserably  at  the  hand 
of  the  Matabele.  The  chief  did  all  he  could  to  welcome  me,  and  even  forced 
me  to  accept  a  lamb,  though  all  his  cattle  had  been  carried  off  except  eight 
sheep.  To  crown  his  misfortunes,  the  small-pox  was  raging  among  them. 
Siakasippa  is  a  fine-looking  man,  a  true  warrior — very  unlike  our  poor  Barotsi. 
The  Matabele  were  going  to  raid  the  Mashukulumboe  ;  but  during  Siakasippa's 
absence  to  visit  Lewanika  on  business,  a  petty  chief,  who  had  a  grudge 
against  him,  secretly  told  the  Matabele  they  would  find  much  more  cattle 
among  the  Batoka.  An  impi  detached  itself  from  the  main  band,  reached 
the  Batoka  by  forced  marches,  and  taking  their  victims  quite  by  surprise, 
surrounded  thera  before  they  suspected  anything.  The  people  fled  into  the 
woods,  but  the  Matabele  stationed  themselves  on  every  path,  even  making 
new  ones  to  be  certain  of  letting  no  one  escape.  Then  one  morning  they 
swooped  down  from  all  parts — more  than  fifty  directions  at  once — upon  these 
poor  creatures,  and  made  an  appalling  slaughter,  over  which  they  spent  the 
whole  day  ;  they  also  took  an  enormous  number  of  prisoners,  whom  they 
throttled  immediately.     Then  they  camped  for  the  night  on  the  banks  of  the 


1894]  A   MATABELE   MASSACRE  53! 

Nguesi.  There  took  place  another  horrible  butcher)'.  All  the  prisoners  were 
murdered  without  exception,  and  the  details  given  by  some  eye-witnesses 
who  were  left  for  dead,  but  revived  by  the  fresh  night  air,  make  one  shudder. 
Some  men  were  hung  by  the  feet  to  trees,  and  left  thus  with  assegais  in  the 
body  ;  others  bound  to  a  tree  trunk  and  burnt  by  slow  fires,  to  judge  by  their 
shrivelled  and  blackened  hands.  Numbers  of  little  cliildrcn  were  strung  by 
the  feet  to  a  long  perch,  under  wliich  the  enemy  lighted  fires,  the  better  to 
enjoy  the  cries  of  these  little  victims.  And  so  on.  I  wished  to  go  there. 
When  we  reached  [the  spot]  the  camp  was  just  as  the  enemy  had  left  it. 
On  all  sides  bones  were  lying  about,  scattered  by  the  hyaenas  or  vultures, 
who  had  been  enjoying  the  carcasses  for  the  last  month.  Judging  by  the 
remains  lying  among  the  skeletons,  the  majority  of  the  prisoners  had  been 
women,  especially  young  girl?." 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 

Fall  of  the  Matabele  Kingdom — Levity  of  the  Barotsi — A  Royal  Weathercock 
—  House-to-House  Visitations  —  Prisoners  —  A  Sad  Story  —  Queen 
Mokwae's  Visit — A  Lesson  in  Good  Manners—//  faut  sotiffrir pour  eire 
^^//^—Dedication  of  the  Church — A  Festival — Lewanika's  Oratory — The 
King  as  a  School  Inspector — A  School  Treat — Drastic  Discipline — The 
Chief  Sind6— The  Great  Flood— il/a/iWw— Flight  of  the  Natives— Their 
Return — The  Goliath  of  Paganism. 

May^June  1894. 

IN  my  last  letter  I  spoke  to  you  of  the  Matabele,  and  the 
alarms  and  panics  they  were  causing  us.  Our  brother  Louis 
J  alia  will  have  told  you  what  can  be  told  of  the  atrocities 
penrpetrated  on  the  Batoka,  the  traces  of  which  he  has  seen  him- 
self with  his  own  eyes.  Alas  !  they  have  long  been  the  scourge 
of  the  nations,  and  not  without  reason  has  their  name  alone 
been  the  terror  of  these  parts.  What  a  mystery  is  this  long- 
suffering  of  the  Lord  !  But  these  human  tigers  had  filled  up  the 
cup  of  their  iniquity,  and  it  overflowed :  the  innocent  blood  of 
women  and  little  children  cried  to  God — ^judgment  has  come 
at  last !     As  a  nation,  the  Matabele  have  ceased  to  exist.^ 

For  ourselves — I  mean  for  the  Barotsi — the  end  of  the 
Matabele  means  peace  and  security,  in  so  far  as  external  affairs 

J  Six  months  later,  M.  L.  Jalla  paid  a  second  visit  to  the  Batoka,  and 
heard  full  details  of  Lobengula's  death,  from  the  consequences  of  a  wound 
received  in  the  engagement  with  Major  Wilson's  force  at  the  Shangani  River. 

"  The  ball  having  lodged  in  the  large  intestine,  a  native  doctor  tried  in  vain 
to  extract  it.  Led  by  Ndosa,  a  younger  brother  (the  same  who  had  conducted 
the  expedition  to  the  Batoka  last  July),  Lobengula  sought  a  last  refuge  in  the 
Kodje  Mountain,  a  little  distance  from  Sinamane's  Mountain,  on  the  right  bank. 
There  he  died.  His  body,  after  being  exhibited  during  several  days  to  the 
gaze  of  his  little  band  of  followers,  was  placed  in  a  lions'  den,  seated  on  the 
royal  throne,  with  two  guns  on  either  side.  He  was  covered  up  with  blankets 
and  numerous  things  belonging  to  him  ;   then  a  great  cairn  of  stones  and 

532 


'^94]  INCORRIGIBLE   LEVITY  533 

are  concerned.  Probably  Lcwanika  will  now  be  able  to  carry 
out  the  plans  he  had  formed  for  establishing  villages  on  the  river- 
bank  as  far  as  its  confluence  with  the  Kafu6.  Several  chiefs 
have  already  been  designated  for  these  various  posts  ;  only, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  the  Barotsi  have  no  more  courage  and 
patriotism  than  need  be.  This  much  is  certain,  and  it  will 
directly  affect  our  beloved  mission,  that  Litia,  the  king's  son, 
is  soon  to  be  installed  at  Kazungula  itself,  as  chief  of  the  whole 
province  of  Kazungula.  Once  invested  with  such  great  power, 
what  will  this  young  man  become  ?  Will  he  be  a  helper  to  our 
brother  Louis  Jalla,  or  a  thorn  in  his  side  ?  I  have  some  hope 
that  he  will  return  to  the  Lord,  and  then  all  will  be  well.  He 
could  not  be  under  better  influences  than  at  Kazungula. 

You  will  naturally  ask  what  became  of  the  mission  in  the 
midst  of  all  this  confusion  and  material  work.  Ah  !  how  I  should 
like  to  be  able  to  rejoice  your  hearts  by  telling  you  we  are  no 
longer  clearing  the  ground  !  But  we  shall  long  have  to  go  on 
doing  that  among  the  Barotsi.  Still,  there  is  no  reason  to  be 
discouraged.  The  longer  and  more  laborious  the  time  of  sowing, 
the  richer  will  be  the  harvest.  "  Let  us  not  be  weary  in  well- 
doing ;  for  in  due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we  faint  not." 

Our  services,  which  have  been  fairly  well  attended,  have  often 
been  of  a  solemn  character.  What  troubles  me,  and  would 
make  me  despair  if  it  were  not  for  the  power  of  God's  grace, 
is  the  incorrigible  levity  of  our  Barotsi.  When  we  believe  that 
a  serious  and  deep  im.pression  has  been  made,  and  we  watch  it 
full  of  hope,  we  find,  alas  !  that  it  has  "  passed  away  like  morning 
dew."  Nothing  is  more  heart-rending  than  the  contrast  between 
the  audience  which  I  thought  captivated  by  the  preaching  of 
God's  Word,  and  the  noisy  mocking  laughter  of  the  groups 
which   form    after   the   service.     One   would    not   believe   they 

rocks  was  erected  over  him,  and  the  cavern  surrounded  by  a  strong  palisade 
of  tree  trunks.  While  this  was  being  made,  the  lions  came  back  to  their  lair, 
and  killed  two  Matabele  chiefs — to  the  survivors  an  evident  sign  of  the  chief's 
satisfaction,  since  he  had  thus  himself  chosen  his  attendants  for  the  other 
world.  A  number  of  bullocks  were  then  slaughtered  in  honour  of  the  dead, 
and  tlie  flesh  which  could  not  be  eaten  on  the  spot  was  left  to  the  vultures 
and  hyaenas.  Thus  perished  this  bloodthirsty  chief,  the  Attila  of  South  Africa. 
Let  who  will  bewail  the  disappearance  of  this  power.  We,  the  nearest 
neighbours  of  the  Matabele,  can  only  thank  God  for  having  at  last  put  a  stop 
to  their  massacres." 


534  ON    THE    THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

were  the  same  individuals.  And  do  not  think  that  I  speak  of 
the  young  people  only,  who  in  all  countries  are  accused  of 
fickleness  ;  but  it  is  the  men  and  women  whose  position  and 
age  ought  to  have  sobered  them.  It  is  Satan's  turn  then  ;  he 
takes  away  the  good  seed  and  sows  tares.  I  have  tried  to 
start  a  sort  of  Sunday  school  at  that  hour  (after  the  service, 
I  mean),  but  without  much  success. 

As  for  Lewanika,  he  is  always  changing.  His  mind  is 
convinced,  but  he  lacks  the  courage  to  break  away  from  customs 
which  he  condemns.  He  likes  the  things  of  God,  and  he  never 
misses  a  single  service  unless  he  is  unwell.  Certain  addresses 
and  certain  hymns  have  by  his  own  confession  moved  him  almost 
to  tears.  He  has  even  been  on  the  verge  of  sending  away  all 
his  wives — "  sweeping  out  his  harem,"  as  he  says  ;  but  he  thus 
ran  counter  to  a  social  and  political  institution,  and  roused  the 
opposition  of  all  the  chiefs  ;  so  he  recoiled  from  it.  He  does 
not  hesitate  to  deplore  his  wrong-doing  towards  us  ;  he  recognises 
it,  and  respects  all  who  have  the  courage  to  tell  him  the  truth. 
But  for  all  that,  he  has  not  yet  got  conviction  of  sin.  He  admits 
his  crimes  and  faults,  but  he  explains  them  away  and  palliates 
them  ;  he  has  not  yet  learned  to  tremble  before  God.  And 
then,  I  must  add,  he  always  has  before  him  the  spectre  of  the 
revolution  of  1884,  which  drove  him  into  exile.  "  How  is  he  to 
be  converted  by  himself}  If  only  he  could  count  on  a  single  one 
of  his  chiefs,  a  single  one  of  his  household  officers,  a  single 
one  of  his  wives  ! "  The  man  is  unhappy  ;  he  wins  one's  heart, 
and  makes  one  pity  him.  You  should  have  seen  with  what 
eagerness,  I  ought  to  say  with  what  joy,  he  did  his  best  to 
popularise  the  evening  services  which  I  held  in  his  court  at  the 
beginning  of  the  fiood-time.  His  wives,  and  their  servants,  the 
village  women  ;  his  own  servants  and  slaves,  and  even  other  men 
who  are  not  free  to  enter  the  precincts  as  they  please,  were  all 
there  :  the  court  was  almost  always  full.  And  in  the  middle, 
sitting  by  my  lantern  on  the  royal  mat,  which  the  common  herd 
are  not  allowed  to  approach,  he  urged  all  the  young  men  who 
could  sing  to  squat  down  on  it  beside  him — his  own  children 
and  slaves  like  Nyondo,  without  distinction.  These  meetings 
were  ostensibly  for  hymn-singing  ;  but  there  was  always  a 
message  as  well — all  the  more  direct,  because  it  was  so  familiar. 
And  with  all  that,  he  has  those  backslidings,  those  contradictions 


i894]  CONVICTS  535 

those  relapses  even,  which  I  understand,  but  which  grieve  me. 
Poor  Lewanika  !  I  low  difikult  it  is  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God  ! 

Evangelisation  from  house  to  house  has  often  encouraged 
me.  I  have  been  able  to  convince  m)'sclf  that  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel  is  sometimes  understood  where  I  had  least  expected 
it.  But  it  also  initiates  me  into  much  of  the  darkness  and 
moral  misery. 

Here  is  a  young  woman,  who  hastily  picks  up  a  piece  of 
charcoal  as  I  pass,  breaks  it  in  half,  and  begs  me  to  hit  her  with 
it.  Poor  thing !  seeing  my  pale  face,  which  she  does  not  admire, 
and  my  white  suit,  "  she  is  afraid  of  bringing  a  monster  like 
me  into  the  world." 

Here  is  another  young  woman,  lying  on  a  mat  in  her  court- 
yard. She  is  ill.  In  a  corner,  quite  close  to  her,  I  notice  on 
a  heap  of  sand  from  the  river,  where  two  young  plants  of  maize 
are  growing,  a  little  altar  of  reeds.  There  every  morning  at 
sunrise,  she  offers  to  Nyambe,  the  Supreme  God,  an  oblation 
in  the  shape  of  a  dish  of  water,  hoping  thus  to  obtain  his  favour 
and  secure  her  recovery.  How  is  it  possible  not  to  be  moved  in 
the  presence  of  these  gropings  in  the  dark  ?  ^ 

Here  is  the  prison,  or  rather  here  are  the  prisoners,  who  are 
also  toiling  at  earth-works.  There  are  not  many  of  them— five 
or  six  in  all,  and  even  that  is  too  many.  Their  gaoler, "  the  man 
with  the  sack  and  rope,"  has  to  ration  them  as  best  he  can  :  that 
is  to  say,  to  starve  them.  And  to  prevent  their  running  away, 
he  boasts  that  he  ties  them  every  night  to  a  post  and  gags  them. 
Each  of  these  wretched  creatures  has  his  own  history.    The  men 

^  As  to  these  altars,  M.  L.  Jalla  writes  as  follows  (September  18S9): 
"  One  Sunday  at  8  a.m.,  I  found  Maliaha"  (a  worthy  ciiicf  at  Sesheke,  several 
times  mentioned  by  M.  Coillard)  "in  the  midst  of  about  fifty  of  his  people, 
especially  women.  '  We  have  come  together  to  pray.'  '  Keally.  To  pray 
to  whom  ? '  '  Why,  to  Molimo.'  '  But  where  is  your  god  whom  you  pray 
to?'  'There  he  is,' replied  I\Iahaha,  showing  me  a  fine  luozuiii^idn  Ucc,m 
front  of  which  they  had  made  a  little  shed  with  grass  and  stakes.  Beside  it, 
they  had  built  a  little  altar  with  some  pieces  of  wood,  and  on  it,  as  an  offering 
from  the  chief,  a  skin  cloak,  and  a  wooden  dish  full  of  water:  this  latter  is 
the  indispensable  offering  when  they  are  asking  for  rain.  '  Who  told  you 
that  this  tree  was  Molimo?'  'Why,'  he  answered,  surprised,  '  Molimo  has 
told  us  all  from  all  time  that  he  descended  into  this  tree,  and  that  wc  must 
pray  to  him  there.'  " 


536  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

are  all  incorrigible  thieves,  and  have  only  got  what  they  deserve. 
Among  the  women,  there  is  one  who  interests  me.  She  is  young, 
bright,  and  intelligent.  She  has  told  me  her  story.  A  man  of 
remarkably  gentle  character,  one  whom  I  like  very  much,  had 
married  her.  One  day,  the  king's  sister,  Katoka,  who  had  just 
eot  rid  of  I  know  not  what  number  on  the  list  of  her  husbands, 
cast  her  eyes  on  this  man,  and  took  him.  He  had  to  forsake 
his  young  wife  :  quite  an  easy  matter  here.  Unfortunately,  a 
little  later  on,  a  mouse  was  found  in  the  princess's  house — a 
dead  mouse  !  There  was  a  great  commotion,  and  the  cry  of 
witchcraft  was  raised.  The  bones  did  not  fail  to  designate  the 
young  woman,  and  she  was  made  a  convict.  A  few  years  ago, 
she  would  have  been  burnt  alive.  Ah,  my  friends,  paganism  is 
an  odious  and  a  cruel  thing  ! 

I  must  say  a  word  about  the  queen,  Mokwae,  who  has  just 
visited  us.  She  had  been  expected  for  a  long  time,  and  her 
arrival  was  a  great  event  in  our  little  world,  and,  as  usual,  the 
occasion  for  great  demonstrations.  Her  tricoloured  sunshade, 
her  startling  European  costumes,  and  those  of  the  king's  wives, 
formed  a  striking  contrast  to  the  grease  and  yellow  ochre  of 
the  crowd  of  other  women.  In  this  I  suppose  one  must  recog- 
nise the  progress  of  civilisation,  and  it  is  for  that  reason  I 
mention  it.^ 

She  made  a  stay  of  six  weeks,  and  the  king  showed  her 
the  greatest  deference.  Although  she  did  not  sit  in  the 
khothla,  as  at  Nalolo,  all  the  matters  treated  of  there  were 
submitted  to  her  as  her  right.     She  also  busied  herself  about 

'  The  Barotsi  are  passionately  fond  of  clothes,  and  despise  such  tribes  as 
the  Mashukulumboe,  who  wear  none.  The  wearing  of  them  was  not  intro- 
duced by  the  missionaries,  nor  is  it  in  any  way  a  question  of  Christianity 
V.  Paganism.  When  Major  Serpa  Pinto  passed  through  Lealuyi  before 
M.  Coillard's  first  visit,  he  found  the  chiefs  all  decked  out  in  faded  Portuguese 
uniforms,  one  of  which  he  identified  by  means  of  a  note  in  the  pocket  as 
having  once  belonged  to  a  friend  of  his  own,  a  high  Government  official. 
The  favourite  costume  of  the  Barotsi  consists  of  a  pair  of  trousers ;  a  shirt, 
worn  outside  it,  rather  long ;  and  a  waistcoat,  but  no  coat.  But  if  they  cannot 
have  all  three,  the  waistcoat  is  the  object  of  their  desires,  because,  they  say — 
alas  for  the  Rational  Dress  Association  !— it  pulls  them  together  and  supports 
the  figure  !  Nevertheless,  with  all  their  industrial  talent,  they  seen  to  have 
but  a  very  elementary  idea  of  spinning  or  weaving.  All  their  clothes  are 
bought.  They  have  a  rooted  idea  that  woven  fabrics  are  produced  by  water- 
sprites  in  the  sand  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  or  of  deep  rivers. 


1^94]  A   MISSIONARY    FOR    NALOLO  537 

certain  troubles  in  her  brother's  harem.  Not  that  she  made 
matters  any  better  herself ;  for  Mokwaii,  who  is  not  more 
considerate  than  need  be,  often  wounds  people  to  the  quick, 
especially  when  it  is  a  question  of  other  women.  She  considers 
herself,  as  the  katoka,  chari^ed  with  the  education  of  the  king's 
wives.  And  all  this  is  mingled  with  a  certain  kindliness,  which 
makes  her  remarkably  maternal  with  the  children  of  royal  blood. 
I  have  seen  her  assemble  the  women  and  girls  of  the  harem, 
covered  as  they  are  with  the  most  fantastic  ornaments,  and, 
in  spite  of  her  inconvenient  stoutness,  stand  the  whole  day 
under  a  burning  sun,  teaching  them  songs  and  dances  of  olden 
times,  which  are  now  forgotten,  and  are  of  doubtful  taste,  to  say 
the  least. 

Her  Majesty  had  fallen  out  with  me,  and  not  altogether  without 
reason.  She  is  persuaded  that  it  is  in  my  power  to  give  her  a 
missionary,  and  that  if  she  has  not  got  one,  it  is  from  ill-will 
and  obstinacy  on  my  part.  More  than  once  already  the  rein- 
forcement has  failed  at  the  last  moment,  just  when  we  thought 
we  had  got  it.^  But  how  should  she  know  that?  Her  principal 
chiefs  share  her  ill-humour,  and  sometimes  give  proofs  of  it 
to  me  in  a  manner  not  altogether  agreeable.  I  was  therefore 
obliged  solemnly  to  renew  the  promise  that  this  year  she  should 
not  be  disappointed,  and  that  a  missionary  should  certainly  go 
and  establish  himself  at  Nalolo.  After  our  past  experiences,  it 
was  certainly  compromising  myself  very  much  ;  but  the  mission 
itself  will  be  compromised,  and  that  much  more  gravely,  if 
we  cannot  occupy  Nalolo  next  year.  In  the  meantime,  I  am 
re-established  in  her  good  graces  and  those  of  her  people,  and  they 
do  not  fail  to  remind  me  of  my  engagement  every  time  wc  meet 
to  discuss  the  site  of  the  station,  and  to  excel  themselves  in  fine 
promises.  You  understand,  do  you  not,  dear  friends  ?  Do  not 
imagine  that  it  is  the  cry  of  the  Macedonian,  or  think  that  the 
inhabitants  of  Nalolo,  especially  their  chiefs,  are  yearning  for 
the  Gospel.  No  ;  it  is  only  a  question  of  dignity.  Lewanika  has 
his  missionary,  a  European  missionary;  and  why  not  Mokwae? 
In  their  estimation,  a  while  missionary  is  a  good  milch  cow! 
However   that  may  be,    Nalolo   is  the   second   capital  of   the 

'  MM.  Vollet  and  Edgar  Kruger,  who  had  both  started  for  the  Darotsi 
\'a\lcy,  had  to  give  it  up,  and  stay  in  Basuto-land. 


538  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

kingdom.  Thus  it  is  a  post  of  great  importance,  which  must 
be  occupied  without  further  delay. 

Mokwae  has  a  high  coi?ception  of  her  dignity.  You  know 
she  is  almost  as  much  iiiorena  (supreme  chief)  as  Lewanika 
himself.  She  has  her  court  like  him,  and  the  same  dignitaries  ; 
she  surrounds  herself  with  the  same  ceremonial  ;  she  receives 
the  same  honours,  and  she  knows  how  to  exact  them,  if  need  be. 
Thus  it  is  natural  enough  that  she  should  insist  on  being  upon 
the  same  footing  with  regard  to  the  missionaries,  and  even  on 
occupying  the  same  place  at  their  table  whenever  she  pleases, 
without  further  ceremony.  Unfortunately,  she  is  far  from 
having  her  brother's  good  manners,  his  habits  of  scrupulous 
personal  cleanliness,  and  above  all  his  great  discretion.  I 
therefore  permitted  myself  one  day  to  give  her  a  lesson  on  the 
subject,  and  some  paternal  advice,  which  she  happily  took  in 
good  part,  and  she  has  since  then  endeavoured  to  follow  it. 
Mokv/ae  has  one  good  quality — she  never  sulks.^ 

Whilst  our  friends  from  Sefula  were  here,  we  invited  her 
to  come  and  spend  a  day  with  us.  She  was  delighted  with  the 
idea  :  she  made  a  grand  toilette  for  the  occasion,  and  arrived 
when  the  sun  was  blazing.  At  her  desire,  I  conducted  her  to 
the  church,  which  she  had  not  yet  seen — a  marvel  of  architecture 

'  The  lesson  was  this  :  Mokwae  had  come  to  the  station  one  morning  at 
8  a.m.  to  call  on  Mme.  A.  Jalla,  who  also  happened  to  be  there  on  a  visit. 
She  stopped  on  till  tea-time  with  her  dirty  retinue  (Lewanika  takes  his 
daily  bath  as  regularly  as  an  Englishman,  but  his  example  is  not  followed  by 
his  relatives),  and  she  would  not  take  the  broadi^st  hints.  When  tea  was 
ready,  the  missionaries  sent  her  out  a  cup,  and  afterwards  went  inside  and 
sat  down  without  inviting  her.  Mokwae,  furious,  passed  her  cup  to  an 
attendant,  and  went  away,  which  was,  in  fact,  what  they  all  wanted  her  to  do. 
Some  days  after,  M.  Coillard  invited  her  to  tea,  and  told  her  everybody  was 
morena  in  his  own  house,  and  that  it  was  inappropriate  to  her  own  dignity 
to  beg  for  invitations. 

Lewanika  understands  good  manners  thoroughly,  though  when  he  is  in  a 
bad  temper  he  does  not  always  practise  them.  His  intercourse  with  Europeans, 
too,  has  tended  to  improve  him  in  this  respect,  for  in  the  main  he  has  been 
very  fortunate  in  his  experience  of  them.  One  of  his  earliest  visitors,  who 
did  not  come  up  to  the  chiefs  standard,  would  have  been  very  much  aston- 
ished to  hear  his  remarks  about  him.  "Has  Satory"  (Queen  Victoria)  "  not 
got  any  nice  men  about  her  person  ?  "  "  Certainly ;  she  has  plenty."  "  Then 
I  hope,  when  she  sends  me  one,  he  will  be  a  gentleman.  That  one  was  not 
even  a  man  ;  he  was  a  wild  beast." 


1894]  PRIDE   MUST   15EAR   A    PINCH  539 

for  the  countr}',  and  a  very  oood  piece  of  carpentering  even  for 
Europe.  I  did  my  best  to  explain  to  her  all  the  secrets  known 
to  me  about  the  sawing  and  joinery.  VVe  stood  talking  for 
a  long  time  ;  and  from  the  interest  she  exhibited,  I  supposed 
she  was  taking  mental  notes  for  her  future  constructions. 
Thence,  I  took  her  round  my  little  garden,  where,  to  her  great 
joy,  I  made  her  a  present  of  a  box  of  young  eucalyptus  plants. 
After  that,  it  was  the  turn  of  my  huts,  my  mysterious  studio  with 
the  red  panes,  and  my  bedroom,  to  which  Lewanika  alo«e  has 
access.  Like  a  true  lady,  she  politely  thanked  me,  and  told  me 
that  everything  had  interested  her — "  immensely,"  I  suppose. 
Then  the  poor  woman,  whom  I  thought  looked  tired,  dropped 
into  a  chair  on  the  verandah,  and  with  a  characteristic  grimace 
abruptly  tore  her  shoes  off  her  feet,  and  flung  them  on  the 
ground. 

"  My  father,"  she  said,  "  give  me  some  medicine  for  my  feet ; 
they  are  hurting  me  dreadfully  !  " 

Poor  creature  !  if  she  had  not  got  boots  on — real  boots  !  New 
ones  too,  and  so  small  for  her  that  I  cannot  understand  by  what 
exercise  of  ingenuity  she  could  ever  have  squeezed  her  feet  into 
them.  And  I  had  kept  her  standing  about  for  more  than  an 
hour  !     What  martyrdom  for  the  poor  woman  ! 

"  Medicine  for  the  feet !  Come,  Mokwae,  put  these  boots 
aside  ;  they  are  much  too  small  for  you." 

"  Then  my  father  will  give  me  his  shoes  ?  " 

I  smiled. 

"  Mine  would  not  fit  you  cither,  Mokwae." 

"  Ah,"  she  remarked,  casting  her  eyes  on  our  friend  WaddcU's, 
"  there  are  some  that  will  do." 

"  I  have  no  others,  Morcna,  nor  has  the  liloniti  either," 
replied  Waddcll,  in  alarm. 

"  And  you  wish  the  Morena  Mokwae  to  go  barefoot  ?  " 

Indeed,  there  was  nothing  else  for  her  to  do,  for  there  is  no 
shoemaker  as  yet  either  at  Lcaluyi  'or  Nalolo.  We  were  highly 
amused  by  this  little  incident.  My  friends  even  went  so  far  as 
to  accuse  me  of  a  little  spark  of  malice,  but  of  course  I  don't 
admit  that ! 

On  the  whole,  Mokwae's  visit  gave  us  pleasure.  I  saw  her 
often,  both  at  her  house  and  mine.  Except  when  she  was 
unwell,  she  did  not  miss  a  single  one  of  our  services  either.     At 


540  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S94 

her  place,  too,  I  had  good  meetings  :  her  large  court  was  always 
full.  Mokwae  is  intelligent  and  open  to  good  influences — also, 
alas  !  to  bad  ones,  as  we  well  know.  I  was  astonished  to  see 
how  she  understood  the  preachings,  and  how  much  she  was 
interested  in  the  school.  Hence  I  rejoice  very  sincerely  to  think 
that  she  will  at  last  have  a  missionary  with  her  this  year.  It 
is  quite  time  for  it.  But,  in  order  to  occupy  Nalolo,  we  shall 
be  obliged  to  abandon  our  dear  Sefula,  and  leave  it  in  the  hands 
of  a  native  evangelist.  We  have  no  one  else  to  place  there. 
And  when  somebody  comes  to  Sefula,  I  fear  he  will  find  hardly 
anything  but  ruins  ! 

In  spite  of  the  length  of  my  letter,  I  must  let  you  witness  the 
dedication  of  our  church.  It  was  a  festival  which  had  filled  our 
thoughts  and  prayers  for  many  weeks  beforehand.  Well,  it  was 
heralded  by  a  great  disappointment.  We  had  been  counting  on 
our  dear  friends  from  Kazungula  and  Sesheke  ;  we  had  made 
splendid  plans,  for  it  is  not  often  that  the  Zambesi  family  is 
seen  complete.  The  people  rejoiced  with  us,  the  king  especially  ; 
and  already  our  pupils  were  enthusiastically  practising  some 
little  songs  of  welcome,  when  the  news  arrived,  like  a  slap  in  the 
face,  that  the  whooping-cough  had  unexpectedly  caused  all  our 
dreams  to  melt  away !  Our  friends  could  not  come.  Africa, 
always  capricious,  is  the  land  of  disappointments. 

What  was  the  use  now  of  hurrying  till  we  were  breathless  ? 
I  postponed  the  festival,  and  it  took  place  in  March  instead  of 
at  Christmas.  All  the  household  from  Sefula  arrived  ten  days 
beforehand— in  canoes  of  course,  for  the  plain  is  inundated. 
What  a  transformation  for  the  hermitage  of  Loatile  !  What 
exuberance  of  life  and  activity  everywhere !  and  what  a  magnet 
for  my  parishioners  at  Lealuyi  !  While  brother  Adolphe,  as  we 
call  him  among  ourselves,  is  ready  to  help  me  with  eye  and  hand 
in  everything,  the  ladies  immediately  took  up  all  the  cares  of 
the  household.  They  also  took  my  poor  boys  in  hand,  who 
certainly  do  their  best,  such  as  that  is  ;  they  reminded  them  of 
their  lessons — quite  forgotten,  alas  ! — in  order  and  cleanliness, 
and  tried  to  extend  their  culinary  accomplishments  a  little. 
That  will  not  go  far.  All  the  same,  I  am  grateful  to  them,  and 
so  are  my  boys ;  for,  left  to  themselves,  the  latter  have  done 
a  great  deal,  according  to  Serotsi  standards,  when  they  have 
merely  shown  their  goodwill.     One  cannot  ask  more. 


1894]  rteDICATION   OF   THE   CHURCH  541 

The  days  were  well  filled  with  the  occupations  that  had 
accumulated.  But  there  was  room  also  for  the  heart,  if  only 
in  the  evenings  on  my  little  verandah  :  a  space  for  confidential 
chats  and  singing  of  our  French  hymns — echoes  from  our 
own  land  with  their  moving  associations,  lifting  our  hearts 
towards  our  heavenly  country,  our  Father's  house,  where  God 
Himself  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  our  eyes. 

The  services  of  Sunday,  March  3rd,  were  of  a  very  solemn 
character.  It  was  the  last  time  that  we  assembled  under  the 
tent.  That  good  old  tent,  now  all  in  rags,  has  its  own  story. 
It  was  together  with  these  same  friends  that  we  put  it  up,  under 
great  difficulties.  It  has  sheltered  us  for  sixteen  months  from 
rain  and  sun.  To  me,  its  very  threshold  is  sacred.  M.  A.  Jalhi 
preached  on  the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes.  I,  in  the  second 
service,  would  have  liked  to  draxv  7ip  the  net.  Can  you  wonder 
that,  in  scanning  the  many  familiar  faces  of  this  fine  congregation, 
the  ten  years  of  this  Barotsi  Mission  passed  before  my  mind  ? 
In  spirit  I  travelled  to  Leshoma,  then  to  Scsheke,  thence  to 
Scfula.  I  halted  at  Lealuyi.  I  thought  of  my  preachings,  of 
my  shattered  hopes,  of  those  conflicts  known  to  God  alone  ; 
and  my  heart  filled  with  sadness,  I  repeated  with  the  Apostles, 
"  Toiled  all  the  night  .  .  .  and  taken  nothing."  This  night  has 
indeed  been  long  and  dark  and  stormy ;  the  work  has  been 
hard  and  unremitting.  Nevertheless — nothing  !  Should  we  lose 
heart  ?  should  we  doubt  the  power  of  the  Gospel  which  we 
preach  ?  the  grace  of  God  which  has  yet  triumphed  over  the 
hardness  and  depravity  of  my  own  heart  ?  Nay,  Lord — at  Thy 
word  I  will  once  more  "  let  down  the  net." 

The  nth  of  March  arrived.  The  humble  edifice  which  we 
were  about  to  consecrate  to  God's  service  is  the  exact  copy  of 
that  at  Sefula,  only  larger  and  better  built.  The  saw-bench  given 
by  our  Glasgow  friends  has  made  a  work  easy  for  us  which 
without  its  help  would  have  been  impossible.  It  is  not  com- 
pletely finished  ;  there  are  no  windows  and  no  doors — calico  will 
supply  the  place  of  the  former,  and  reeds  of  the  latter.  There 
are  only  a  few  benches  and  a  platform  with  a  little  table  instead 
of  a  pulpit.  Above  the  platform,  against  the  wall,  stand  out  the 
words,  "  Glory  to  God  ! — Khanya  e  be  go  Molinio  !  "  echoing  the 
sentiment  that  fills  our  hearts,  "  Hallelujah  !  " 

The  day  opened  favourably,  although  the  sky  was  cloudy. 


542  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

Though  it  was  the  rainy  season,  it  did  not  rain  that  day  ;  and 
we  thanked  God  for  that.  As  early  as  half-past  eight,  a  little 
group  made  itself  visible  outside  the  village,  and  quickly  climbed 
the  bridge.  Another  appeared  ;  then  a  third,  the  princesses, 
dressed  in  brilliant  colours  ;  and,  finally,  the  mass  of  the  people, 
"  the  black  populace,"  bontsu  bo  as  they  say  here,  just  as  though 
the  aristocracy  were  white.  Soon  the  station  was  filled  by 
a  noisy,  chattering  crowd.  Lewanika,  contrary  to  his  usual 
custom,  arrived  the  last. 

Without  losing  any  time,  Adolphe  Jalla  and  I  prepared  the 
groups,  and  gave  them  minute  directions  how  to  enter,  so  as  to 
avoid  too  great  a  confusion.  The  bell  rang,  and  everybody,  in 
the  prescribed  order,  assembled  once  more  on  the  site  of  our  tent, 
which  had  disappeared.  After  singing  came  prayers,  and  an 
address,  in  which,  after  alluding  to  the  appeals  of  the  preceding 
Sunday,  I  renewed  the  many  injunctions  regarding  order  and 
respect. 

Lewanika  also  made  an  attempt  at  a  little  speech.  The  poor 
man  is  anything  but  an  orator,  monarch  though  he  be  ;  and  he 
made  a  mess  of  it  altogether.  He  began  by  calling  to  account 
the  great  chief  of  Katuramoa,  who,  being  tipsy,  proceeded  to 
unfold  a  long  discourse,  which  he  perhaps  understood  himself,  but 
which  we  had  to  cut  short.  He  then  turned  to  the  Gambella, 
as  representative  of  the  chiefs,  and  asked  him  why  he  prevented 
his  people  from  coming  to  church.  The  Gambella,  who,  by  this 
time,  ought  to  have  grown  hardened  to  this  sort  of  compliment, 
took  or  pretended  to  take  it  as  a  personal  affront  ;  and  not 
deserving  it,  he  respectfully  but  firmly  read  his  royal  master 
a  lecture.  The  king,  nonplussed  by  these  two  unexpected 
rejoinders,  made  some  general  remarks,  recommending  the 
people  to  go  and  hear  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  to  send 
their  children  to  school.  Then  summing  up  :  "  What  other  white 
man,"  he  cried  warmly,  "  has  ever  taken  the  trouble,  like  this 
one,  to  put  up  a  building,  not  for  his  own  exclusive  use,  but  for 
ours  ?  Do  you  not  see  that  there  is  something  within  the  breast 
of  these  men — these  missionaries?  What  advantage  do  they 
reap  by  wearying  themselves  thus  for  us  ?  Say !  And  you, 
Barotsi,  who  despise  their  instruction,  and  refuse  to  send  your 
children  to  school,  are  you  so  very  wise  and  intelligent?     Perish 


>S94]  DEDICATION    SERVICES  543 

our  customs  and  superstitions  !     They  keep  us  chained  in  dark- 
ness, and  carry  us  on  to  ruin  !     I  see  it !     Yes,  I  see  it !  " 

We  struck  up  a  hymn,  and  entered,  myself  at  the  head  of 
the  so-called  procession,  in  order  to  preside  at  the  installation 
of  our  uncivilised  congregation,  while  Waddell  acted  policeman 
at  the  door,  and  our  brother  Jalla  outside.  Good-bye  to  our 
precautions  and  directions  !  The  chiefs  and  queens  had  hardly 
entered  before  there  was  an  indescribable  scrimmage  at  the 
entrance.  I  had  foreseen  this.  Happily,  our  singing  drowned 
the  uproar ;  and  when  quietness  had  been  restored,  the  sight  of 
the  audience  congregated  in  this  vast  building  had  something 
very  striking  in  it.  We  began  by  singing  a  national  orison, 
composed  for  the  occasion.  Then  after  a  prayer  of  dedication, 
I  endeavoured  in  a  short  address  to  make  our  Barotsi  clearly 
understand  the  character  of  this  building,  which  was  consecrated 
to  God's  service  ;  and  the  basis  of  our  teaching — the  Word  oj 
God,  true  and  eternal,  a  very  different  thing  from  the  puerile 
legends  of  paganism.  Adolphc  Jalla  in  his  turn  gave  us  a 
fervent  address  from  i  Cor.  ii.  2.  I  say  us,  for  we  took  to 
ourselves  a  good  share  of  tb.is  "  sincere  milk," '  meant  for  people 
who  are  still  nothing  but  babes  in  knowledge. 

To  knoiv  notJtiug  but  Jesus  Christ — that  was  just  the  keynote 
needed  ;  and  it  is,  above  all  else,  the  keynote  of  the  whole 
missionary  life.  I  will  not  speak  of  our  hymns,  which  you  do  not 
know.  One  day,  we  shall  all  sing  the  New  Song  together,  the 
Song  of  the  Lamb,  in  the  language  of  heaven  :  something  far,  far 
beyond  even  that  chorus  of  thirty  thousand  children,  and  I  know 
not  how  many  thousand  of  adults,  which  I  heard  once  in  the 
Crystal  Palace  Gardens,  and  which  has  ever  remained  one  of  the 
most  glorious  souvenirs  I  have  carried  away  from  Europe.  I  need 
not  tell  you  with  what  emotion  I  took  part  in  the  singing  of  the 
hymn  (No.  214)  which  I  had  written  for  the  dedication  of  the 
church  at  Lcribe.  The  comparison  and  contrast  between  these 
two  ceremonies,  twenty-three  years  apart,  were  too  painful  for  me. 

We  came  away  from  this  service  with  pleasant  impressions. 
It  had  lasted  two  hours,  but  attention  and  seriousness  had  been 
maintained  to  the  end.  That  is  much  for  heathen,  and  above 
all  much  for  Barotsi. 

»  I  ivt.  ii.  2. 


544  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

In  the  afternoon,  after  the  great  heat,  during  which  all  nature 
seems  to  sleep  here,  the  road  was  again  fringed  with  knots  of 
men  and  women  ;  and  when  the  bell  rang  at  four  o'clock,  the 
church  was  filled,  though  less  crowded  than  in  the  morning. 
I  spoke  on  "living  stones  "  (i  Pet.  ii.).  As  the  Lord's  labourers, 
we  also  seek  these  living  stones  among  our  dear  Zambesians. 
Our  ambition  is  to  be  able  to  offer  some  to  the  Master,  that 
He  may  be  able  to  find  a  place  for  them  in  the  building  of  His 
spiritual  edifice.  While  others  can  cut,  carve,  and  polish,  we 
are  still  occupied  in  clearing  the  quarry.  But  however  rough 
the  work  may  be,  it  is  necessary,  and  we  still  have  hope. 

The  sun  was  setting  when  we  came  out  of  the  church,  and  it 
was  as  much  as  we  could  do,  under  the  last  glimmer  of  twilight, 
to  distinguish  the  long  ribbon  of  living  beings  disappearing 
into  the  village. 

In  the  evening,  we,  tiny  band  as  we  were,  assembled  once 
more  in  the  now  empty  church,  to  receive  a  message  from  the 
Lord  Himself  (Zech.  ii.  5),^  and  commemorate  His  death 
together.  All  was  calm  and  silent,  without  as  within.  Jesus 
was  there,  and  spoke  to  our  souls.  After  this  day,  so  happy, 
yet  so  laborious,  we  felt  that  He  invited  us  also,  like  His 
wearied  disciples,  to  follow  Him  "  apart,"  and  renew  our  strength 
in  the  intimacy  of  His  Communion.  Blessed  moments  !  "  It  is 
good  to  be  here." 

The  next  day  was  the  examination  and  school  treat.  Ever 
since  midnight,  it  had  been  pouring  with  rain,  and  the  water 
was  rising  quickly.  If  that  continued,  the  causeway  would  also 
be  covered  in  two  days'  time.  In  spite  of  the  rain,  the  children 
ran  over  ;  they  had  no  garments  to  get  wet,  and  they  did  not 
want  to  be  cheated  out  of  their  treat — quite  right,  too.  Happily, 
the  rain  stopped  towards  noon,  and  the  sun  shone.  At  the 
sound  of  the  bell,  every  one  was  there  :  not  all  the  same  people 
as  the  previous  day,  of  course  ;  but  the  full  number  of  pupils, 
and  the  king,  the  queen,  and  all  the  aristocracy.  One  very  dark 
cloud  was  the  fact  that  our  friend  Jacob,  the  head  of  the  school, 
was  ill — indeed,  very  ill — but  his  wife  took  his  place  with  a 
self-possession  we  all  admired.  Norea  is  a  thoroughly  nice 
woman.     Our    little    ones    sang    us  a   song,   composed  for    the 

^  "  For  I,  saith  the  Lord,  will  be  unto  her  a  wall  of  fire  round  about,  and 
will  be  the  glory  in  the  midst  of  her." 


1^94]  DRASTIC   DISCIPLINE  545 

occasion,  in  which  they  claimed  to  be  our  children,  and  asked 
us  to  be  "lenient  towards  them,  and  not  ask  them  puzzling 
questions  !  "  Dear  children,  they  have  fairly  won  our  hearts  ;  it  is 
a  delight  to  us  to  see  them  running,  jumping,  and  making  merry  ; 
so  we  tried  rather  to  hurry  over  the  examinations.  But  that 
did  not  suit  the  king  at  all,  nor  Litia  either,  both  of  whom  have 
passed  through  this  ordeal ;  and  they  would  not  let  us  off 
without  our  also  questioning  the  big  girls,  and  the  young  men 
with  sprouting  beards,  who  stumble  at  the  first  line  of  the 
alphabet.  They  were  the  attendants  of  the  king's  children  ; 
and  they  think,  if  they  put  in  an  appearance  at  school,  that  is  all 
that  is  necessary. 

The  examination  over,  we  had  to  listen  to  the  chiefs,  who, 
assuming  a  threatening  tone,  as  usual  on  public  occasions, 
censured  the  people  who  were  not  there.  The  king  himself 
.was  more  sensible  :  he  gave  each  his  due — thanked  the 
missionaries,  taxed  the  men  with  lying,  and  put  his  own 
wives  in  the  same  boat.  "  It  is  you  who  arc  the  hindrance 
to  the  school,  and  entice  the  children  away.  But  as  for  me," 
he  added,  "  understand,  that  if  a  child  does  not  attend  school, 
do  not  say  he  is  mine.     I  will  not  own  him." 

At  last,  we  went  out,  to  the  relief  and  delight  of  the  children! 
You  should  have  seen  them  sitting  in  groups,  impatient  to 
begin.  The  king  had  had  an  ox  killed  for  their  sole  benefit. 
We  added  to  that  coffee,  sugar,  and  maize  cakes.  Nyondo, 
standing  up,  said  grace ;  then  all  fell  to,  as  hard  as  they  could, 
and  everything  was  soon  polished  off !  But  the  dessert  was  still 
to  come !  Mokanoa,  the  king's  attendant,  arrived,  the  upper 
part  of  his  body  bared  ^ :  he  knelt  down  ;  they  formed  a  circle 
round  him,  and  clapped  hands.  Then  they  listened  in  dead 
silence.  "The  king  says:  'With  him,  as  with  the  Barutt\\\\c 
school  is  a  serious  matter.  Know  then,  all  ye  his  children  and 
slaves,  that  whichever  of  you  plays  truant  without  cause  will  be 
throttled,  Serotsi  fashion"  ("applause,"  i.e.  hand-clapping),  "and 
whichever  attends  school  and  makes  no  progress  will  also  be 
throttled,  Serotsi  fashion.  Remember,  he  tells  you  this  once 
for   all.     So  beware !  "     They  clapped  hands  again,  and   then 

'  Indicating  a  message  from  the  king— a  very  solemn  and  ceremonious 
occasion. 

35 


546  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

dispersed,  but  not  for  long.  They  had  seen  the  preparations 
for  the  magic  lantern.  The  show  succeeded  wonderfully  well. 
There  were  even  chiefs  of  the  Balunda  present.  When  finally 
Waddell  let  off  one  or  two  rockets  as  a  sign  of  dismissal,  they 
were  almost  seized  with  panic.    They  will  not  soon  forget  this  day. 

Among  the  auditors  from  a  distance  who  were  present  at 
the  dedication,  the  most  distinguished  was  Sinde,  an  important 
chief  of  the  Balunda  tribe,  who  has  fled  before  the  Portuguese, 
and  put  himself  under  the  protection  of  Lewanika,  whose 
suzerainty  he  recognises.  Being  an  intelligent  man,  he  was  so 
struck  with  what  he  saw  and  heard  that  he  instantly  begged 
to  have  a  missionary  placed  with  him  ;  he  even  went  so  far  as 
to  confide  his  sons  to  Lewanika,  so  that  they  should  attend  the 
school  ;  but  these  boys,  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  being  left 
alone  among  the  Barotsi,  who  do  not  enjoy  a  good  reputation, 
took  flight.  Judging  by  the  information  I  have  received,  and 
by  the  ceremonial  with  which  Sinde  is  surrounded,  he  must  be 
a  powerful  chief :  he  alone,  of  all  I  have  seen  here,  made  his 
entry  into  the  capital  almost  as  Lewanika's  equal,  with  drums, 
serimbas,  and  a  numerous  procession ;  his  musicians  played 
every  day  before  Lewanika,  and  a  place  of  honour  was  reserved 
for  him  at  the  lekJiotJila.  So  there  is  an  important  field  opening 
before  us  ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  the  only  one. 

Our  friends  had  returned  to  Sefula.  The  inundation  was 
rising  all  the  time,  and  we  were  beginning  to  ask  ourselves  how 
many  more  days  we  should  be  able  to  remain  on  our  island. 
The  king  knew  of  my  intentions.  He  declared  that  he  would 
not  leave  either  ;  and  that  if  he  were  forced  to  it,  he  would 
only  do  it  in  the  last  extremity.  He  knew  that  it  was  quite 
out  of  the  question  for  me  to  accompany  him  to  his  village 
of  refuge. 

In  spite  of  Jacob's  illness,  I  reopened  the  school  immediately, 
with  one  hundred  and  eighty  pupils.  There  was  chaff,  and  a 
great  deal  of  it,  in  this  heap.  Still,  we  are  confronted  with  an 
enormous  task,  for  which  our  forces  are  far  from  sufficient. 
Litia  and  Mokamba,  as  I  think  I  have  already  told  you,  are  also 
making  up  to  us  again  ;  and  at  their  request,  I  had  begun  a 
special  class  for  them.  It  is  not  that  I  believe  they  have  any 
serious  desire  to  learn,  and  still  less,  alas  !  to  return  t6  the 
Lord  ;  but  I  should  like,  if  I  could,  to  remove  all  the  stumbling- 


iS94]  UNUSUAL   FLOODS  SA7 

stones  out  of  the  road  to  salvation,  as  they  used  to  do  for  the 
cities  of  refuge/  The  services  of  the  two  Sundays  following  the 
dedication  were  particularly  solemn. 

Unfortunatel)^,  the  flood  was  still  rising ;  the  causeway  had 
completely  disappeared,  and  a  large  part  of  the  village  was 
inundated.  And  this  was  only  the  beginning.  From  Kabombo 
and  the  northern  region,  it  was  announced  that  there  had  not 
been  such  a  flood  within  the  memory  of  man.  Islands  which 
generally  keep  their  heads  far  above  water  were  completely 
submerged.  Fields  were  devastated,  and  trees  even  on  the 
borders  of  the  woods  were  uprooted  and  carried  away.  Every 
year  the  Barotsi  complain  that  the  inundation  is  too  slight,  and 
regret  bitterly  the  good  old  times,  when  they  could  organise 
their  annual  national  hunt — that  is,  the  wholesale  slaughter  of 
large  antelopes,  which  they  hemmed  in  upon  the  islets  of  the 
submerged  plain.  This  year,  they  were  fully  compensated,  and 
now  they  grumble  that  the  flood  is  too  great.  It  is  curious  to 
see  the  roofs  emerging  from  the  waters,  canoes  drifting  before 
the  wind  in  the  midst  of  the  village,  and  a  herd  of  cattle  gravely 
sitting  in  the  lekhotJUa !  I  wonder  if  Lewanika's  tame  gnu 
presides  at  this  strange  parliament.  Poor  creatures  !  they  have 
had  enough  of  the  inundation  ;  and  so  have  the  people  too,  in 
spite  of  its  charms  and  benefits.  These  Barotsi  are  quite 
amphibious  ;  they  are  only  happy  in  the  water  and  in  the  mud. 
They  live  in  it,  and  sleep  in  it,  even  when  they  might  avoid 
it.  A  few  handfuls  of  grass  for  a  carpet,  a  few  branches  for  a 
mattress,  and  there  they  arc,  perfectly  set  up.  Tastes  differ 
like  the  sense  of  beauty  ;  each  one  has  a  right  to  his  own.  One 
day,  when  I  brought  Lewanika  into  my  little  garden  to  show 
him  some  young  eucalyptus  trees  of  which  I  am  very  proud,  he 
stopped  before  the  church,  and  looi:ing  over  the  vast  watery 
plain,  he  exclaimed  after  a  long  silence,  "  How  beautiful !  Not 
a  tree  !  not  one  !  "     What  would  he  say  to-day  ? 

As  for  me,  I  feci  depressed  by  this  panorama,  smitten  as  it 
is  with  sterility  and  death.  Ten  years  ago,  when  I  visited  the 
capital  after  the  revolution,  and  Mathaha  led  me  to  the  hill 
Mongou,  w  hich  Livingstone  had  chosen  as  the  site  of  the  station 

'  Dent.  xix.  3  :  "  Thou  shall  prcp.irc  a  way  ,  .      tliat  every  slayer  may 
flee  thither." 


548  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

he  was  never  to  found,  I  deeply  offended  my  guide  by  telling 
him  that  I  did  not  at  all  share  his  enthusiasm  for  this  inundated 
plain.  I  wanted  to  return  there  the  other  day,  while  making  an 
evangelising  tour  by  canoe.^  What  a  desolation  !  But  I  forgot 
that  while  sitting  under  a  solitary  tree,  and  preaching  Jesus  to 
a  few  poor  natives  I  met  there.  Formerly,  there  was  nothing 
more  melancholy  than  the  sandy  plain  of  Kimberley,  burnt  up 
by  the  sun.     To-day,  diamonds  are  found  there ! 

From  thence,  passing  Kanyonyo,  I  wanted  to  visit  the 
great  village  of  Mokoko.  What  was  my  astonishment  to  find 
myself  paddling  in  a  large  and  deep  canal !  Lewanika  had 
spoken  of  it  certainly,  but  as  if  it  were  a  thing  of  small 
importance.  And  yet,  when  it  is  finished — and  it  is  almost 
finished  now — it  will  drain  all  the  valley-side  of  Mangoko,  the 
temporary  capital,  as  far  as  Sefula,  more  than  twelve  and  a  half 
miles,  and  will  bring  its  waters  to  our  canal.  And  what  is  best 
of  all,  is  the  immense  quantity  of  arable  land  thus  reclaimed  by 
drainage.  So  there  is  our  canal  number  three  !  Don't  tell  me 
nothing  can  be  done  with  such  industrious  and  imitative  people  ! 

At  the  entrance  to  a  pool,  we  wished  to  turn  the  canoe  ;  and 
in  order  to  take  their  place  behind,  three  of  my  boys  leapt  out 
on  to  a  little  island.  A  cry  of  distress  was  heard,  and  they 
sank  up  to  the  neck  ;  a  moment  more  and  they  would  have 
disappeared.  We  were  too  near  for  the  danger  to  be  serious. 
But  it  was  curious  to  see  the  islet  rise  again  to  the  surface  of 
the  water.  It  was  an  example  of  those  terrible  inatindis,  as 
they  are  called  here  ;  rafts  of  grass  so  strongly  interlaced  that 
you  can  walk  on  them  ;  but  it  must  always  be  very  cautiously  ; 
for  if  there  is  a  tear  in  the  tissue,  and  you  make  a  false  step,  it 
is  all  up  with  you,  just  as  if  you  fell  through  a  hole  in  the  ice  on 
a  pond.  Ah,  if  these  matindis  could  speak,  what  lamentable 
stories  of  secret  drownings  they  could  tell  us  ! 

In  consequence  of  these  said  matindis,  the  journey  became 
more  laborious.  My  white  sunshade  misled  the  people,  who 
took  me  for  the  king  ;  and  as  soon  as  they  saw  us,  the  women 
began  to  utter  piercing  cries,  the  men  to  put  themselves  in 
position  to  give  the  royal  salute,  and  all  to  rush  towards  us  in 
troops.     I  sent  Nyondo  to  undeceive  them.     What  discomfiture 

*  See  page  176. 


1894]  A    FLIGHT  549 

for  the  poor  creatures!  Some  ran  off  to  the  village;  others 
threw  themselves  flat  on  the  grass.  One  old  man,  rallying, 
cried  out,  "  It  is  the  Moruti,  Ntate  oa  Rdna  "  ("  our  father  ") ;  and 
when  I  reached  the  village,  I  already  had  round  me  an  audience 
of  about  a  hundred  persons,  big  and  little,  whose  number  was 
soon  augmented  by  other  little  bands.  I  tried  to  teach  them  a 
simple  hymn,  and  to  engrave  on  their  memory  a  verse  which 
the  Spirit  of  God  may  engrave  on  their  hearts,  and  spoke  to 
them  familiarly  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost.  This  was  a  day  employed  as  I  wish 
they  all  were. 

The  Barotsi,  who  complain  every  year  that  the  inundation 
is  too  slight,  grumbled  now  that  it  was  too  great ! 

It  was  on  the  evening  of  Easter  Sunday  that  Lewanika  told 
me  he  had  to  go  away  the  next  day,  in  spite  of  the  people's 
wish.  The  water  had  invaded  the  market-place,  and  come  up 
to  his  own  door.  Accordingly,  next  day,  he  arrived  before 
breakfast  in  a  great  hurry,  to  take  leave  of  me.  All  those  who 
could  had  already  left.  They  did  not  even  wait  to  set  the 
Nalikuarida  afloat,  the  back  of  which  had  been  broken  in  coming 
out  of  the  ship-building  yard.  They  even  forgot  the  drums. 
It  was  a  flight !  I  accompanied  him  some  little  way  by  canoe. 
My  anthill,  which  was  a  little  higher  than  that  of  the  capital, 
still  held  its  head  above  water,  but  it  grew  smaller  every  day. 
The  flood  had  invaded  the  workmen's  huts,  and  the  foot  of 
some  of  our  buildings  ;  the  garden  was  sinking  and  disappearing 
perceptibly,  and  of  my  "  study "  beside  the  church  scarcely 
enough  remained  for  the  regulation  prisoner's  walk.  Were  the 
water  to  rise  only  a  foot  higher,  we  should  be  obliged  to  do  like 
everybody  else,  though  reluctantly,  for  I  had  cut  out  plenty  of 
work  for  myself,  and  it  was  easier  for  me  to  go  about  evangelis- 
ing by  canoe  from  here  than  from  Sefula.  Meanwhile,  we  had 
a  bad  time  of  it  with  the  rats  and  snakes  which  had  taken  refuge 
on  our  hillock,  as  well  as  with  the  infuriated  ants,  both  black 
and  red,  which  never  left  it.  And  how  melancholy  it  was  to 
look  at  the  watery  plain,  which  extended  on  all  sides  as  far  as 
eye  could  reach  !     Not  a  sound  !  not  a  soul !  not  a  sign  of  life  ! 

Nyondo  tried  to  keep  on  school  for  about  ten  boys  who 
remained  in  the  village,  and  did  very  well.  Helped  by  Jacob, 
we  shared  the  Sunday  duties.     I  generally  went  to  Mangoko,  the 


550  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

king's  temporary  village — a  journey  of  three  hours  each  way, 
which  the  wind  made  somewhat  disagreeable  and  dangerous, 
for  it  often  happens  that  a  gust  of  wind  upsets  the  canoes  and 
wrecks  them  like  nutshells.  But  in  spite  of  the  sun  and  wind,  it 
is  a  great  compensation  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  this  audience 
of  men  and  women,  who  are  generally  so  serious  and  attentive. 

At  Lealuyi,  in  the  deserted  village,  we  could  always  assemble 
from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  slaves  of  both  sexes, 
v/ho  came  together  eagerly  enough  when  we  went  there  (though 
they  could  not  all  come  to  us  for  want  of  canoes),  and  who  were 
very  much  astonished,  poor  things !  that  we  should  trouble 
ourselves  about  them,  so  firmly  rooted  in  their  minds  is  the 
notion  that  the  Gospel  is  only  for  their  masters.  Happily,  the 
inundation,  which  at  its  full  height  very  nearly  reached  my 
house,  but  respected  it,  went  down  rapidly  ;  and  by  the  time  I 
returned  from  Scfula,  where  I  had  only  been  to  spend  Whitsun- 
tide, the  king  announced  to  me  the  good  news  of  his  approaching 
return.  Last  Saturday,  the  19th,  1  accepted  with  pleasure  an 
invitation  to  go  and  meet  him,  and  spent  part  of  the  day  with 
him  in  the  Nalikuanda  (now  repaired),  of  which  they  are  so 
proud.     It  was  a  day  of  rejoicing  for  everybody. 

I  am  pretty  well  accustomed  to  the  noise  and  racket  of 
grand  occasions.  But  the  sight  of  these  crowds  of  men  and 
women  throwing  the  water  over  their  heads  and  bodies,  uttering 
wild  cries  as  salutations  to  the  king,  has  a  strange  effect  upon 
me.  If  I  had  not  known  the  cause,  I  should  have  taken  it 
all  as  an  emblem  of  sadness  and  mourning  ;  so  true  is  it,  alas  ! 
that  even  the  joys  of  our  poor  Africans  are  sad. 

The  school  is  about  to  be  reopened,  and  the  work  will  resume 
its  regular  course.  What  a  pity  it  is  that  we  shall  have  to  give 
it  up  in  a  fortnight  to  go  to  Kazungula,  and  leave  Jacob  and 
his  wife  all  alone !  Please  God,  we  shall  be  there  for  Litia's 
installation.^  The  "  lords  of  Sesheke,"  who  are  coming  to 
escort  him,  are  daily  expected.  The  canoes  which  will  conduct 
our  young  princes  Litia  and  Kaiba  will  bruig  the  supplies 
we  are  all  looking  forward  to.  It  is  the  happy  solution  of  a 
difficulty  ;  it  simplifies  the  question  of  canoes  for  the  king,  and 

1  As  chief  of  the  new  village,  removed  from  Mambova  to  the  official  ford 
of  Kazungula. 


iS^94j  "  ISA    15APALA."  55  I 

half  compensates  us  for  the  food  of  eighty  or  a  hundred  men 
during   more  than   two  months. 

But  the  great  changes  and  dilemmas  of  the  situation  never 
cease  to  occupy  our  minds.  We  have  to  fight  against  a  Goliath 
which  defies  us  at  our  very  hearths — namely,  the  appalling 
corruption,  which  seems  to  be  at  once  the  scourge  and  sceptre 
of  this  country.  It  cannot  possibly  be  told,  still  less  can  it 
be  exaggerated.  Social  institutions  ;  the  absence  in  matrimonial 
affairs  of  any  contract,  even  the  most  elementary  ;  polj^gamy  ; 
above  all,  slavery,  that  perennial  source  of  so  many  ills,— all  help 
to  promote  it,  and  to  kill  conscience.  Public  opinion  is  silent, 
and  never  denounces  the  atrocities  that  are  committed  in  broad 
daylight.  I  knew  plenty  about  it,  alas !  and  thought  I  had 
nothing  more  to  learn  on  the  subject,  but  more  frequent  and 
more  intimate  contact  with  the  capital  revealed  undreamt-of 
abysses.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  youth  in  this  country  ; 
childhood  itself  is  scarcely  known.  One  unhappy  word  excuses 
everything.  "  Ba  bapala  !"  say  the  grown-up  people,  even  their 
own  parents.  "  They  arc  amusing  themselves."  Who  should 
reprove  them  ?  All  have  played  with  sin,  all  have  amused 
tJieviselvcs  in  their  time,  do  it  still,  and  glory  in  it  ;  they  are 
only  following  in  the  footsteps  of  their  parents,  as  their  own 
children  are  now  treading  in  theirs.  As  the  king  himself  said 
with  some  sense  of  shame,  "  We  have  grown  up  wallowing  in 
the  mire:  how^  should  we  save  our  children  from  it?"  Our 
experiences  here  have  been  hard  and  humiliating  :  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  capital  is  pestiferous,  and  now  I  understand  all 
the  mortifications  we  tasted  in  our  beautiful  school  at  Sefula, 
and  the  apparent  non-success  of  the  Gospel-preaching.  But 
that  is  not  to  say  we  should  be  discouraged.  If  the  evil 
is  great,  we  are  bringing  the  sovereign  remedy.  And  if 
a  "  sanctified  "  people  could  arise  in  the  midst  of  so  corrupt  a 
city  as  Corinth,  we  may  believe  that  here,  too,  in  the  dregs  of 
Zambcsian  paganism,  God  will  glorify  Himself.  Ah  I  if  we 
could  but  have  an  awakening ! 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

Arrival  of  M.  and  Mme.  Beguin — Conference  at  Kazungula — Hopeful 
Prospects — Journey  from  the  Capital  to  Kazungula — Projected  Journey 
to  Basuto-land — An  Appeal  for  Medical  Missionaries— Sixtieth  Birthday 
— The  Victoria  Falls — The  Plain  on  Fire— Sefula  forsaken — An  Awaken- 
ing of  Consciences  at  last— Lewanika  and  his  Converted  Wife- 
Hindrances  in  starting  for  Basuto-land — Inauguration  of  the  Station  at 
Nalolo — The  Waggon  breaks  down — Renunciation  of  the  Journey — A 
Work  of  God — Litia's  Prefecture  at  Kazungula — His  Repentance. 

Kazungula,  July  2^th,  1894. 

BEHOLD  one  of  our  beautiful  Zambesian  dreams  realised : 
the  meeting  at  Kazungula  of  all  the  European  members 
of  the  Zambesi  missionary  family !  It  is  a  rare  thing  for  us  to 
see  the  perfect  success  of  plans  formed  a  long  time  beforehand 
with  all  our  hearts  set  on  them.  We  had  fixed  our  eyes  on 
this  meeting  as  one  does  on  an  express  train  which  one 
sees  appearing  in  the  distance.  One  has  scarce  caught  sight 
of  it,  before  it  whistles,  passes,  and  vanishes.  Our  meeting  has 
already  come  to  an  end — already  our  party  is  broken  up ; 
our  friends  the  Goys  left  yesterday,  and  to-morrow  it  will 
be  the  turn  of  ourselves  from  the  Valley.  We  can  sit  down 
together  for  a  moment  to  talk,  but  only  in  the  midst  of  packing 
provisions,  loading  canoes,  and  all  the  anxieties  of  departure. 

Strangers  and  pilgrims,  shall  we  ever  find  ourselves  all 
together  again  ? 

It  is  hardly  possible  !  But  something  will  remain — the  sunny 
memory  of  these  delightful  days.  In  these  distant  regions,  where 
moral  and  spiritual  solitude  surrounds  our  steps,  the  present  is 
so  monotonous  and  prosaic,  that  we  cannot  help  living  much  in 
the  past,  and  dwelling  on  those  Elims  where  we  have  rested  and 
been  blessed. 

It  was  with   a  sinking  heart  that  I  left  Lealuyi  ;  and  I  was 

552 


^ 


iS94]  JOURNEY   TO   SESIIEKE  553 

not  the  only  one.  I  made  my  farewells  with  the  presentiment 
that  my  ministry  was  accomplished.  Never  before  had  my 
audiences  been  so  numerous  and  regular,  nor  so  attentive ; 
never  yet  had  the  interest  in  the  things  of  God  appeared  so 
great.  For  a  long  time  our  voices  had  been  lost  in  the  desert 
with  no  echo,  but  already  we  seemed  to  see  the  dry  bones  move, 
and  we  only  awaited  the  breath  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  revive 
them.  And  why  leave  now?  What  shall  I  find  on  my  return. 
The  people,  too,  were  sad.  Formerly,  it  was  very  different. 
"  What  shall  we  do  without  you  ?  "  said  Lcwanika.  "  We  will 
take  care  that  they  come  to  church,  but " 

It  was  at  the  bad  season.  The  inundation  had  abated  too 
much  for  the  canoes,  and  not  enough  for  travelling  on  foot  ; 
so  that  communications  were  difficult.  It  was  not  without 
trouble  that  the  king  managed  to  collect  the  fifty  good  canoes 
we  needed.  But  he  worked  with  a  will.  And  on  the  day  of  my 
departure,  he  was  there  from  seven  in  the  morning,  seeing  to 
the  loading  of  the  canoes,  distributing  and  organising  each  crew. 
He  accompanied  me  part  of  the  way,  to  assure  himself  that 
all  was  well.  And  then,  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand,  he 
turned  his  canoe,  to  re-enter  the  town,  while  we  plunged  into 
the  long  grass  and  reeds  to  continue  our  route.  Poor  Lewanika  ! 
Three  days  running  he  despatched  a  courier  to  get  news  of  us 
and  wish  us  a  good  journey. 

Mokwae,  too,  received  us  amicably.  She  counted  it  an 
honour  to  show  us  over  her  neat  establishment — her  house,  her 
outbuildings,  and  her  young  trees  ;  but,  happily,  my  shoes  were 
neither  too  tight  nor  too  new,  as  hers  were  at  Lealuyi !  She 
loaded  us  with  provisions  for  our  journey,  and  would  have 
detained  us  at  least  a  day,  in  order  to  offer  us  the  tangible 
"  expression  of  her  high  esteem  "—namely,  the  customary  ox. 
We  were  too  much  pressed  for  time :  it  will  graze  till  our 
return. 

Our  voyage  was  a  ten  days'  picnic,  without  shadows  and 
almost  without  adventures,  though  we  certainly  shivered  with 
cold  in  our  tents  (only  three  degrees  above  freezing-point  in  the 
morning)  ;  and  there  was  some  excitement  in  passing  the  rapids, 
where  accidents  are  so  frequent.  On  Jul>-  7th,  the  firing  of 
guns  announced  our  arrival  at  Sesheke,  and  brought  to  the 
bank    our    friends    the    Goys,    and    all    who    remained    of   the 


554  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

population,  since  the  chiefs  had  gone  to  the  Valley.  How 
Sesheke  has  changed !  One  can  scarcely  recognise  it  now. 
To  begin  with,  the  bay,  that  beautiful  bay,  is  filled  with  sand 
and  detritus,  and  is  now  nothing  but  a  marsh  covered  with 
grass  and  reeds.  Everything  that  we  built  there  has  disappeared. 
But  the  Sesheke  of  to-day,  with  its  mission-house  built  by 
Jeanmairet,  its  church,  its  magnificent  bell,  its  outhouses,  its  reed 
palings,  its  clusters  of  passion-flowers,  its  well-kept  paths,  creates 
a  pleasant  impression,  and  shows  what  a  man  of  taste  can  make 
of  an  arid  desert.  The  attitude  of  the  people  also  has  greatly 
changed.  It  is  now  one  of  respect,  and  perhaps  even  of  affection 
and  confidence.  If  there  had  been  other  Christians  at  Sesheke 
besides  M.  Keek's  daughters,  I  could  have  believed  I  was 
inhaling  a  breeze  from  the  Maloutis.^ 

And  at  Kazungula,  one  day's  journey  from  Sesheke,  what  a 
warm  reception  awaited  us !  Flags  floated  above  the  trees,  and 
a  motto  of  welcome  displayed  itself  in  front  of  the  house.  Our 
friends  were  there  on  the  bank,  awaiting  us.  I  hardly  know 
how  we  disembarked  at  the  gap  in  the  reeds,  wading  and 
leaping  upon  the  canoes  which  served  as  a  bridge  for  crossing 
a  pool  of  water.  Scarcely  had  we  exchanged  greetings  when  a 
circle  was  formed,  and  a  hymn  of  welcome  arose,  very  well  sung 
in  parts  by  the  girls  and  boys.  Everywhere,  all  was  neat  as 
a  new  pin.  The  station  was  keeping  holiday.  One  glance  at 
the  little  garden,  which  gives  an  air  of  civilisation  to  this  wild 
spot,  and  at  these  buildings  constructed  without  any  external 
aid,  proclaims  that  our  friends  the  Jallas  are  hard  workers. 
They  have  toiled  indeed.  Ten  years  ago,  we  crossed  the  river 
with  our  waggons  for  the  first  time,  and  camped  a  couple  of 
paces  from  here,  near  a  shadeless  tree,  and  under  a  poor  shelter 
of  straw,  open  to  all  the  winds.  Ten  years  !  How  much  has 
happened  since  then  ! 

If  union  makes  strength,  it  also  makes  joy ;  and  if,  while 
extending  itself,  our  family  circle  is  not  weakened,  we  shall 
perpetually  renew  the  experience  that  one  can  be  happy  even 
at  the  Zambesi,  and  that  we  are  neither  exiles  nor  martyrs.  A 
real  spirit  of  mutual  love  and  esteem,  and  the  determination  to 

*  The  Drakenburg  Mountains.     Mme.  Goy  and  her  sister  are  the  daughters 
of  a  Basuto-land  missionary,  M.  Keck, 


i894]  AN    AWAKENING  555 

place  the  interests  of  the  work  far  above  all  personal  considera- 
tions, have  characterised  our  mectin;.;s  and  discussions.  The 
presence  of  the  Lord  made  itself  felt  in  our  prayer-meetings, 
and  in  the  Gosf)cl-preachings  \vc  had  every  cvcnin;^.  One  in 
particular  was  on  the  [)laintive  cry  of  the  prophet,  "  Who  hath 
believed  our  report?"  and  nothing  could  be  more  touching 
than  to  sec  twenty  young  girls  rise  spontaneously,  and  declare 
themselves  for  the  Lord.  Most  of  them  belonged  to  Kazungula 
itself,  and  some  others  to  Seshekc  and  the  Valley  :  many  of 
them  had  already  felt  the  need  of  making  an  open  profession 
of  having  found  the  Saviour.  Others,  even  among  our  boatmen, 
are  under  serious  impressions.  We  do  not  know  what  the 
result  of  this  movement  will  be.  We  even  tremble,  recollecting 
our  past  griefs.  But  even  if  the  wind  that  is  now  blowing  raises 
much  chaff,  will  there  not  be  a  single  grain  of  good  corn  ? 

You  know  that  when  I  left  the  Valley  I  had  proposed 
making  an  evangelising  tour  in  the  Batoka  and  IMashukulumboe 
countries.  M.  Louis  Jalla  had  offered  to  accompany  me.  But 
in  the  course  of  our  discussions,  it  became  evident  that  it  would 
be  desirable  for  one  of  us  to  go  to  Palapye,*  and  thence  on  to 
Kimberley  ;  partly  to  prepare  for  bringing  forward  the  rein- 
forcements the  Committee  promise  us  for  next  year,  and  partly 
on  account  of  the  post,  the  agents,  and  other  matters  which 
we  cannot  arrange  by  letter.  As  none  of  my  colleagues  could 
leave  their  families  or  stations  for  so  long  a  time,  I  put  myself 
at  their  disposal.  From  Kimberley  to  Basuto-land  by  rail,  it  is 
only  a  step.  So  it  was  decided  that  I  should  go  so  far,  and 
knit  up  the  family  ties  which  unite  us  to  our  brethren  in 
Basuto-land,  and  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  Barotsi  Mission 
among  the  Churches.  To  me,  it  is  another  fatherland  :  we  lived 
and  laboured  there  for  twenty-six  years.  The  bare  thoui,dit  of 
returning  thither  in  my  present  circumstances,  and  after  all  the 
changes  which  have  taken  place  there,  made  me  tremble.  Ikit 
I  am  convinced  of  the  expediency  of  this  voyage,  so  I  must 
not  hesitate.  Hence,  I  am  renouncing  my  journey  to  the 
Mashukulumboe,  and  am  returning  to  the  Valley,  to  set  my 
house  in  order,  and  take  leave  of  Lewanika  and  my  dear 
Barotsi,  before  starting. 

•  Pror.ounred  Pnlnpchvve. 


556  ON    TPIE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

On  July  17th,  my  colleagues  and  their  wives  wished  to 
celebrate  my  sixtieth  birthday.  They  assembled  in  a  neigh- 
bouring room  at  4.30  a.m.  and  sang  to  me,  "  Out,  je  beitirai 
Dieu  tout  le  temps  de  via  vie!'  Yes,  praise  :  that  must  indeed 
be  our  theme.  They  thought  to  awaken  me  with  these  sweet 
tones  ;  and  I  was  deeply  touched.  I  found  it  difficult  to  believe 
I  was  really  sixty  years  old.  Our  brother  Jousse  said  that, 
after  sixty  years,  a  missionary  is  no  longer  good  for  anything. 
Yet  I  still  feel  young  in  heart.  But,  all  the  same,  there  is  some 
truth  in  this  assertion,  and  I  too  am  travelling  little  by  little 
towards  the  waste-paper  basket. 

I  hope  you  will  not  lose  sight  of  the  appeal  we  are  making 
for  two  medical  missionaries.  How  is  it,  that  among  the  young 
Christian  men  who  have  chosen  this  profession,  not  a  single  one 
has  yet  offered  himself  for  the  Zambesi  ?  Is  it  because  the 
climate  is  so  unhealthy  ?  is  it  because  we  are  so  often  ill,  that 
not  a  single  doctor  has  yet  heard  the  call  of  God  ?  Remember, 
too,  that  we  must  have  some  one  for  Sefula,  a  special  man  who 
understands  machinery  and  can  direct  the  labour.  Waddell 
must  leave  to  consult  a  doctor  and  to  see  his  mother.  For 
more  than  six  months  the  poor  man  has  been  a  martyr  to 
rheumatism.  He  will  go  down  the  river  with  me,  and  we  shall 
(D.V.)  start  as  soon  as  he  has  finished  the  necessary  repairs  to 
the  cart. 

Augtist  6th,  1894. 

While  our  friends  Beguin  and  Adolphe  Jalla  were  directing 
their  steps  to  Scshcke  on  the  way  to  the  Valley,  I  had  to  await 
Litia's  arrival  as  chief  of  Kazungula,  in  order  to  have  his 
canoes  for  the  return  journey.  Meanwhile,  M.  Louis  Jalla  and 
I  left — he,  my  kind-hearted  brother,  with  the  sole  object  of 
bearing  me  company — to  visit  the  Victoria  Falls.  I  had  not 
seen  them  for  sixteen  years.  It  was  a  delightful  little  ten  days' 
trip,  without  hindrances  or  serious  adventures.  It  is  true  that, 
being  badly  shod,  and  a  little  less  lively  than  my  sturdy 
travelling  companion,  I  returned  helpless  in  both  feet,  part  of 
the  way  dragging  myself  along,  the  other  part  carried  in  a  chair 
on  the  vigorous  shoulders  of  four  Zambesians.  But  this  incident 
can  have  no  serious  consequences,  and  only  the  bright  memories 
of  our  excursion  will  remain.     One  gains  a  great  deal  in  making- 


1894]  THE   PLAIN    ON   FIRE  557 

more  intimate  acquaintance  with  such  a  friend  as  Louis  Jalla, 
in  whom  a  loveablc  nature  and  inexhaustible  patience  are  united 
with  indomitable  energy. 

And  what  shall  I  say  of  this  sublime  and  terrifying  spectacle? 
this  maddened  river  plunging  into  dark,  unfathomable  gulfs  ? 
If  man,  poor  worm  !  feels  crushed  by  the  majesty  of  his  Creator's 
infinite  power,  the  Christian  is  moved  by  the  inward  witness  of 
the  Spirit  to  remember  that  this  Creator  is  his  Father,  and  that 
this  infinite  Power  is  at  the  service  of  His  mighty  and  no  less 
infinite  Love.  He  erects  himself  from  the  dust  as  a  citi/xn  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  a  prince  of  heaven,  with  a  crown  of  joy 
upon  his  head.  What  should  he  fear  ?  what  can  man  do  to 
him  ?  His  Father  is  the  Almighty,  and  loves  him  with  illimitable 
love.  "  Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ  ?  .  .  .  I  am 
persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  princi- 
palities, nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature^  shall  be  able 
to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord." 

Sefula,  October  i^h,  1894. 

Here  we  are,  still  in  the  midst  of  this  cruel  season  of 
burning  winds,  where,  under  a  scorching  sun  and  upon  a 
scorching  soil,  everything  is  languishing  for  the  first  drops  of 
rain.  The  plain  is  on  fire.  Night  after  night,  the  gigantic 
illuminations  transport  the  imagination  into  other  worlds- 
entrancing,  grandiose,  phantasmagoric  !  Something  thrills  you 
in  the  darting  flames  and  terrible  crackling.  You  feel  your 
impotence  in  the  face  of  this  element,  which  like  a  serpent 
entwines  and  swallows  up  all  before  it,  whose  advance  none  can 
arrest.  What  a  vivid  illustration  of  those  words  of  the  prophet. 
"  For,  behold,  the  day  cometh,  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven  ;  and 
all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble: 
and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  the  Lord 
of  hosts,  that  it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch." 

The  wind  dies  down  ;  we  are  in  a  furnace.  Masses  of  thick 
black  smoke,  reflecting  a  livid  light  from  the  flames  that  devour 
the  jungles,  roll  over  the  earth  and  heap  themselves  one  above 
the  other.     You  suffocate  beneath  them  ;  respiration  is  agony. 

By  day,  the  winds  sweep  pitilessly  over  the  immensity  of 


558  ON   THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1S94 

the  plain,  overhung  by  a  gloomy  pall,  flecked  and  fringed  with 
pale  clouds  of  smoke.  They  give  themselves  free  career  !  Far 
and  near,  from  every  point  of  the  compass  and  towards  the 
horizon,  nothing  but  tornadoes.  These  cyclones  arise  one 
knows  not  where  ;  they  mount  up,  and  whirl  round  and  round, 
piling  up  black  formidable  columns  in  colossal  and  fantastic 
shapes,  which,  ever  mounting  and  whirling,  scatter  themselves 
into  the  air,  race  one  another  furiously,  and  then,  as  if  to  escape 
the  caprice  of  the  game,  vanish,  only  to  resume  their  vagabond 
course  elsewhere.  And  woe  to  him  who  crosses  their  path  ! 
Nothing  can  shelter  him  from  this  wind  of  the  plain.  It  pursues 
him  everywhere,  scourges  his  face  relentlessly,  and  follows  on 
his  heels  into  his  very  house,  where  it  seems  to  spit  powder 
upon  everything.  Like  an  impish  child  on  the  watch  for  a 
chance  of  mischief,  it  sweeps  up  cinders,  sand,  and  gravel,  and 
scatters  them,  only  to  sweep  up  and  scatter  them  again.  We 
count  the  days  of  this  terrible  month.  It  must  be  one  of  those 
ill-omened  moons,  which  the  Barotsi  never  celebrate  with 
festivals.  At  the  appearance  of  a  few  flakes  of  cloud,  hope 
revives.  Alas  !  a  gust  of  wind — a  clap  of  thunder — and  they 
melt  away.  Nothing  remains  but  the  fiery  sun,  and  the 
insatiable  fury  of  the  gale. 

The  date  of  my  letter  is  not  an  error  ;  I  am  at  Sefula.  I  am 
writing  to  you  in  this  old  room,  riddled  by  white  ants,  but  to 
me  a  Bethel  full  of  sacred  memories.  My  dear  Sefula !  It 
has  changed  very  much.  The  buildings  are  beginning  to  look 
dreary  and  dilapidated.  As  for  the  forest,  the  natives  everywhere 
destroy  the  trees  ;  we  have  the  greatest  trouble  to  make  them 
respect  any,  and  they  leave  nothing  but  brushwood.  Mile. 
Kiener  is  no  longer  there,^  nor  Mr.  VVaddcU  either.  The  work- 
shop is  closed  ;  so  is  the  forge  :  the  saw-mill  is  mute  and 
melancholy.  The  Adolphe  Jallas  in  their  turn  arc  leaving  it 
to  go  to  Lealuyi,  and  the  Beguins  to  Nalolo,  and  only  the 
evangelist  Paulus  Kanedi  and  his  wife  will  remain  in  a  corner 
of  the  court :  dear  people  they  are,  who  make  little  stir,  and 
love  a  quiet  retreat.  One's  heart  swells  in  thinking  of  days 
gone  by,  and  especially  of  all  we  should  have  liked  to  do  at 
Sefula.     We    found    there    nothing    but    impracticable    marshes 

'  Her  residence  had  been  transferred  to  Kazungula. 


i894]  RUINED  SEFULA  559 

and  jungles,  the  haunts  of  panthers  and  hya?nas.  Wc  wanted 
to  make  it  a  centre  of  industry  and  education,  a  fruitful  source 
of  elevation,  progress,  and  prosperity  for  the  country.  And  here 
is  Sefula  without  a  missionary,  and  almost  abandoned  I  ^ 

And  yet,  why  should  not  Sefula  have  its  day,  and  fulfil  its 
beneficent  mission  ?  Why  should  we  not  have,  besides  a  school 
of  evangelists,  an  industrial  school,  which  should  sap  the  founda- 
tions of  slavery  ?  For  we  have  materials  enough  and  to  spare 
for  a  beginning.  Our  dear  Barotsi,  of  whom  1  have  had  so 
much  evil  to  say,  have  their  good  side  too — their  industry,  in 
which  they  leave  far  behind  every  other  South  African  tribe 
I  have  known.  At  this  moment,  they  are  building  a  European 
house  like  ours  at  Lealuyi — of  course,  for  Queen  Mokwae — 
and  another  much  larger,  which  is  to  serve  as  a  kliotlda,  or 
court  of  justice  ;  and  all  this  will  be  done  with  native  products 
and  industry — all,  including  the  nails  and  the  metal  of  which 
they  are  made.  Canals  are  in  fashion  :  Lewanika  is  making 
them,  and  Mokwae  also,  in  four  or  five  parts  of  the  Valley 
at  once. 

Now  that  I  am  leaving  for  Basuto-land,  I  could,  if  I  would,  take 
with  me  a  whole  legion  of  young  men,  all  vying  with  one  another 
to  be  respectful  and  pleasant.  The  ambition  of  some  is  to  go 
and  work  with  the  Basuto,  and  return  each  with  a  gun  on  his 
shoulder  ;  of  others,  to  join  the  Bible  school  of  our  blessed 
Mabille,  whose  renown  has  reached  even  here.  It  is  useless 
to  argue,  and  try  to  show  them  the  insufficiency  of  our  resources  ; 
they  are  deaf  to  all  reason  ;  and  to  cut  short  their  importunities, 
one  must  just  harden  oneself,  and  say,  not  "  I  cannot  take  you  " 
— they  do  not  believe  that — but  "  I  will  not."  But  we  must 
confess  that   it  is  hard  for  the  dear  boys,  when  they  profess  so 

'  Sefula  had  originally  been  selected  as  a  mission  station  because  it  was 
the  only  healthy  spot  available  near  the  capital.  As  long  as  it  was  the  head- 
quarters of  the  mission  (especially  on  its  industrial  side),  it  acted  as  a  magnet 
to  the  semi-nomadic  population.  But  when  M.  Coillard  left  for  Lealuyi, 
and  Waddells  health  obliged  him  to  go  to  England,  the  people  dropped  oil 
or  moved  away.  M.  Coillard's  projected  journey  to  Basuto-land,  and  after- 
wards his  long  illness,  made  it  imperative  for  him  to  have  a  colleague  at 
Lealuyi,  and  the  staff  was  so  limited  that  there  was  no  choice  but  for  the 
A.  Jallas  to  move  to  the  capital.  Mr.  Mercier  started  nearly  two  years  ago  to 
establish  an  industrial  school  at  Sefula,  but  the  disturbed  state  of  South 
Africa  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  get  there  till  July  1897. 


560  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

great  a  desire  to  learn,  and  become  evangelist-sckoolmasiers 
(for  we  pile  up  the  functions  in  Barotsi-land).  Mind,  I  would 
not  venture  to  guarantee  the  purity  and  disinterestedness  of 
each  one's  motives.  But  still,  we  cannot  be  indifferent  to  it, 
any  more  than  to  the  needs  of  the  work. 

You  know  how  we  appreciate  the  evangelists  who  come  to 
us  from  Basuto-land ;  for  the  most  part  these  men  are  among 
the  very  elect.  But  the  distances,  the  difficulties  of  travelling, 
and  the  expense  will  always  and  perforce  limit  their  number. 
It  would  be  no  more  advantageous  to  send  our  Zambesians  to 
Basuto-land,  than  it  would  be  wise  and  economical  to  send 
our  Basuto  to  France  to  make  French  pastors  and  missionaries 
of  them.  Their  pretensions  and  requirements  would  threaten 
to  be  in  inverse  proportion  to  their  good  sense  and  efficiency. 
M.  Louis  Jalla  has  three  of  his  pupils  at  Morija,  and  I  have 
consented  to  take  one  of  mine  there.  But  I  do  it  against 
the  grain,  and  simply  because  I  cannot  help  it.  It  is  a  great 
risk.  In  speaking  thus,  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  I  throw 
a  shadow  of  discredit  on  a  school  which  of  all  the  Basuto  schools 
commands  my  fullest  and  deepest  sympathy.  Oh  no  !  Only 
what  we  need,  and  what  is  imperative,  is  our  ozun  Bible  school, 
here  at  the  Zambesi,  and  tvithout  delay.  We  must  from  the 
beginning  inculcate  a  missionary  spirit  in  our  Christians,  an 
aggressive  activity,  the  need  of  giving  what  they  themselves 
have  received. 

In  these  days,  much  is  said  in  the  religious  world  about 
what  they  call  self-supporting  missions.  For  my  own  part,  I 
should  prefer  a  self -propagating  one.  It  would  be  more  genuine  ; 
it  would  be  unassailable,  because  it  is  the  very  essence  of 
Christianity,  and  the  sap  of  the  spiritual  life  in  each  disciple 
of  the  Saviour. 

I  came  to  Sefula  to  despatch  Kamburu  with  my  Cape  cart, 
which  I  shall  rejoin  at  Kazungula,  proceeding  thither  by  canoe. 
But  I  have  been  here  four  days,  and  no  Kamburu  has  appeared. 
1  came  also  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony  for  Seonyi 
and  Nosiku,  who  have  both  grown  up  with  us.  The  girls  had 
remained  with  Mme.  A.  Jalla  when  I  left  Lealuyi  ;  both  profess 
to  be  converted,  and  certainly  a  transformation  has  been  worked 
in  them,  which  we  can  only  attribute  to  the  grace  of  God. 

The   rest   you   will    have   heard    already  :    in   each   of  our 


1894]  A   REMARKABLE   AUDIENCE.  561 

Stations  a  movement  has  taken  place  of  which  we  would  only 
speak  with  the  greatest  reserve,  though  we  cannot  be  absolutely 
silent  on  the  subject.  It  first  manifested  itself  at  Kazungula 
among  the  children  living  in  the  mission-house,  and  was  greatly 
accentuated  during  our  stay  there  at  the  time  of  the  conference. 
But  it  was  at  Sefula  that  it  took  the  greatest  proportions. 
In  a  few  weeks,  the  number  of  those  who  publicly  declared 
their  wish  to  serve  God  rose  above  sixty.  Quite  a  third  of  the 
number  are  school-children,  M.  Jalla  tells  me  ;  others  are  men 
and  women,  who  have  nothing  as  yet  to  recommend  them  to 
our  confidence  beyond  this  public  profession,  which,  after  all, 
among  these  poor  volatile  Zambcsians,  compromises  them  very 
little.     But  there  are  others  whose  faces  are  very  familiar  to  us. 

At  Lealuyi,  I  was  struck,  on  my  return  from  Kazungula, 
by  the  audience  ;  our  church,  big  as  it  is,  overflows.  On  the 
first  Sunday  after  my  arrival,  it  was  as  full  as  on  the  day  of 
the  dedication  ;  the  benches,  the  aisles,  even  the  steps  of  the 
platform  which  serves  as  our  pulpit,  all  were  filled,  not  an  inch 
to  spare  Even  then,  more  than  fifty  people,  who  could  find 
no  room  inside,  pressed  around  the  doors  to  listen  ;  and  this, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  public  works  and  local  causes  have 
for  the  moment  dispersed  the  floating  population,  always  con- 
siderable at  Lealuyi.  And  I  must  say  there  is  something 
solemnly  joyful  in  the  attention  and  seriousness  of  this  splendid 
audience  in  the  midst  of  such  heathen  surroundings.  Here, 
also,  we  have  had  spontaneous  professions,  some  of  which  have 
moved  our  hearts  ;  but  I  do  not  encourage  them. 

If  we  were  not  working  among  people  with  whose  desperately 
frivolous  character  we  are  well  acquainted,  and  if  we  had  not 
had,  or  had  at  least  been  able  to  forget,  the  hard  and  humiliating 
lessons  of  the  past,  perhaps  our  joy  would  be  less  mingled, 
and  our  hopes  more  vivid.  We  hardly  know  what  to  think  in 
the  presence  of  such  a  new  movement.  We  wonder  anxiously 
if  it  be  really  the  beginning  of  an  awakening  of  consciences, 
the  first  drops  of  those  showers  for  which  we  have  prayed  and 
waited  for  so  long.  God  knows  our  ardent  and  sincere  desire 
is  not  to  make  a  brilliant  show  in  the  eyes  of  men,  building 
wood  and  stubble  on  the  Rock  of  Ages  (those  materials 
abound  everywhere),  but  to  build  thereon  precious  stones,  gold, 
and  even  silver,  however  little,  so  long  as  it  is  sound  metal. 

3^ 


562  ON   THE  THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1894 

To  speak  candidly,  I  am  not  without  apprehensions.  I  fear 
lest  this  movement,  which  seems  so  widespread,  may  yet  be 
without  depth.  I  fear  that  the  king's  favourable  inclinations, 
which  are  known  to  every  one,  and  the  spirit  of  imitation  and 
excitement,  may  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with  it.  This  pessimistic 
view  is  probably  peculiar  to  myself,  and  is  perhaps  not  shared 
by  my  brethren,  and  I  am  sometimes  vexed  with  myself  for 
it.  How  often  does  it  happen  that  our  souls  agonise  in  suppli- 
cations ;  and  yet  when  these  are  granted,  we  are  so  astonished 
that  we  cannot  believe  it.  We  are  always  saying,  "  Rhoda,  thou 
art  mad."     Yet  we  believe.     "  Lord,  help  Thou  our  unbelief." 


Lealuyi,  October  \st. 

Yesterday  was  the  day  of  farewells,  one  of  those  days  one 
prefers  to  leave  behind.  M.  and  Mme.  Adolphe  J  alia  came  for 
the  occasion,  as  they  were  to  replace  me.  Jacob  Moshabesha 
also  bade  good-bye.  He  will  go  to  second  M.  Beguin  at 
Nalolo,  where  their  installation  is  to  take  place  next  Sunday. 
Each  of  us  four  spoke,  and  there  is  no  need  to  add  that  this 
service  had  that  character  of  solemnity  which  makes  one  realise 
the  presence  of  God.  It  was  the  same  in  the  afternoon  meeting, 
which  prolonged  itself  till  dusk.     All  seemed  to  leave  regretfully. 

It  was  a  sight  to  draw  tears  from  the  angels  of  heaven  to 
see,  amongst  others,  children — yes,  cJiildren  ! — rise  up  to  confess 
their  thefts  and  unveil  their  immorality.  We  were  probably  the 
only  persons  present  to  be  astonished  at  it,  and  to  feel  shame 
covering  our  countenances.  Who  can  fathom  the  abyss  of 
corruption  in  which  they  all  grovel,  since  even  these  children, 
little  ones  scarcely  twelve  years  of  age,  are  already  familiar 
with  vice  ?  One  trembles  only  to  think  of  it.  Nevertheless, 
to  judge  by  their  serious  air,  one  must  believe  in  the  sincerity 
of  these  testimonies.  Pressing  appeals,  driven  home  by 
hymns,  also  of  appeal,  sung  as  solos  and  choruses  by  us  four 
only,  missionaries  and  evangelists,  held  the  assembly  spell- 
bound. In  the  midst  of  a  great  silence,  Lewanika  suddenly 
apostrophised  one  of  his  wives,  who  occupied  a  seat  in  another 
part  of  the  church,  a  charming  young  woman,  gentle  and  timid 
as  a  dove. 

"  Nolianga,"    he   cried,   "  why   are    you   silent  ?      You   who 


i894l  NOLIANGA'S   CONVERSION.  563 

love  the  things  of  God  so  much,  and  whose  conscience  has 
so  long  been  exercised,  why  do  you  remain  silent  ?  Say,  why 
do  you  not  declare  yourself  for  Jesus?  What  do  you  fear? 
Of  whom  are  you  afraid  ?  I  hinder  no  one  from  becoming 
converted  and  serving  God.     Speak  therefore  ! " 

During  a  profound  silence,  in  which  ever)'body  seemed  to 
hold  their  breath,  their  eyes  fixed  on  her,  one  heard  nothing 
but  stifled  sobs.  Nolianga  did  not  speak,  any  more  than  she 
who  watered  the  Saviour's  feet  with  her  tears,  and  wiped  them 
with  the  hairs  of  her  head. 

But  the  incident  is  of  great  moment  in  the  eyes  of  the  public, 
and  it  is  the  topic  of  all  conversations.  No  one  is  mistaken 
as  to  the  significance  and  purpose  of  the  king's  words  ;  but  they 
wonder  why  he  does  not  go  further,  and  take  the  decisive  step. 
In  the  harem,  they  had  been  already  pointing  at  poor  Nolianga. 
Her  rivals  were  treating  her  as  an  ambitious  hypocrite.  "  She 
is  only  pretending  to  be  converted,"  they  said,  "  so  as  to  please 
the  king,  and  become  his  sole  wife  when  he  declares  himself 
a  Christian."     What  will  it  be  now  ? 

This  Nolianga,  who  is  still  young,  good-looking,  and  amiable, 
is  a  daughter  of  the  famous  king  Sepopa,  and  is,  therefore,  a 
second  cousin  of  Lewanika's.  She  has  long  been  attracted  to 
the  Gospel.  Being  a  great  friend  of  Norea,  Jacob's  excellent 
wife,  she  has  taken  advantage  of  the  latter's  friendship  to  study 
the  things  of  God,  and  also  to  learn  to  read.  The  work  of 
grace  has  operated  visibly  in  this  beautiful  soul.  Some  time 
ago — xvithout  our  knowledge,  mark  ! — she  confessed  to  the  king 
that  she  could  no  longer  resist  the  call  of  God.  In  becoming 
a  Christian,  she  knew  she  must  leave  his  seraglio.  But  she 
entreated  him  not  to  dispose  of  her  at  his  pleasure,  and  give 
her  to  anybody  as  a  wife,  according  to  the  custom,  but  to 
leave  her  entirely  free  to  marry  or  not,  and  to  build  her  house 
where  she  wished.  Lewanika  granted  her  petition.  In  fact, 
I  think  the  dear  man  is  very  pleased  at  it.  It  is  what  he  has 
long  been  wishing  and  expecting.  He  wished  to  leave  to  God 
the  task  of  dispersing  his  wives,  whom  he  has  not  the  courage 
to  send  away.  And  then,  if  only  some  of  his  ///vw/^c^rt  (household 
officers)  and  principal  chiefs  were  converted  first,  how  easy 
it  would  be  for  him  to  follow  them,  instead  of  his  having  to 
tread  all  alone — he  who  is  never  alone—the  narrow  path  that 


564  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

leads  to  life.  Tell  me,  do  you  not  pity  him  ?  Let  those  friends 
who  make  his  conversion  a  subject  of  pra}er  on  no  account 
grow  weary.^ 

Sefula,  October  \6tli. 
The  14th  having  been  fixed  for  M.  Beguin's  installation  at 
Nalolo,  I  was  forced  to  hasten  the  completion  of  my  preparations 
for  the  journey,  as  I  was  not  returning  to  Lealuyi.  The  evening 
before  my  departure,  Thursday,  the  i  ith,  the  church  filled  without 
even  a  stroke  of  the  bell,  and  I  was  able  once  more  to  address 
a  few  serious  words  to  my  dear  people.  I  confess  it  was  a 
relief  to  me  when  this  meeting  was  over.  The  Adolphe  Jallas 
returned  to  Sefula  the  following  day  early,  while  the  king 
remained  with  me  the  whole  morning,  and  wished  to  accompany 
me  alone  part  of  the  way  on  foot,  to  rejoin  my  canoes. 

A  singular  concurrence  of  circumstances  forced  me  to  modify 
my  plans  a  good  deal,  in  order  not  to  abandon  them  altogether. 
I  was  not  able  to  send  my  Cape  cart  from  Sefula  :  some  of 
the  boys  had  given  me  the  slip  ;  Kamburu  himself  had  not 
turned  up,  and  he  informed  me  at  the  last  moment  that  he 
had  fallen  ill  at  the  village  where  he  had  been  stopping. 
Again  ;  another  man  failed  me — my  good  Semonja,  a  second 
Nathanael  (though  a  less  intelligent  one  than  he  of  Leribe), 
who  usually  accompanies  me  on  my  journeys,  and  was  to  have 
done  so  on  this.  It  was  the  more  curious,  as  he  had  a  great 
desire  to  make  the  journey  with  me,  and  had  entreated  me  not 
to  leave  him  behind.  As  he  is  a  man  of  remarkably  serious 
character,  and  an  important  chief — one,  too,  who  professed  to 
have  given  himself  to  the  Lord — I  had  consented,  thinking 
that  a  visit  to  Khama  and  to  the  Churches  of  Basuto-land  might 
do  him  good,  and  strengthen  him  in  the  faith.  The  jealousy 
of  the  other  chiefs,  it  seems,  made  him  draw  back,  added  to 
the  importunities  of  his  wife  (who  is  a  woman  of  high  rank, 
a  daughter  of  Sepopa ;  and  she  knows  it  !) ;  so  I  did  not  insist. 
It  was  in  vain  for  Lewanika  to  try  other  plans  for  me  ;  they 

'  Nolianga  still  remains  true  to  her  profession,  and  is  quite  unmolested. 
But  in  leaving  the  king's  harem,  she  had  to  abandon  her  royal  rank,  and  work 
for  her  living — practically  the  servant  of  those  women  whose  equal,  if  not 
superior,  she  had  hitherto  been. 


u. 


IE2.:I 


f 


1894]  MR.   BfiGUlN'S   INSTALLATION.  565 

did  not  succeed — at  least,  not  in  sufificiently  good  time.  So 
I  renounced  the  water-way,  which  I  had  only  chosen  to  diminish 
the  fatigue  of  the  long  journey,  and  to  gain  a  little  time. 

The  canoes  only  brought  me  to  Nalolo.  I  arrived  there  the 
Saturday  morning,  a  few  hours  before  my  friends  Adolphe 
Jalla  and  E.  Beguin  from  Sefula.  The  village  was  almost 
deserted.  But  soon  after  my  arrival,  the  war-drums,  the  i/iaoina, 
the  noisy  salutations,  and  general  excitement  announced  the 
queen.  She  was  returning  from  a  visit  of  inspection  to  a  canal, 
which  she  also  has  had  dug,  to  unite  the  temporary  capital 
she  will  occupy  during  the  inundations  with  the  river.  Mokwae 
won't  be  behind  anybody  else  ;  and  they  say  at  Nalolo  that 
her  canal,  like  her  house,  will  be  the  largest  and  finest  in  the 
country. 

The  next  day,  we  had  our  service  in  the  lekJiothla.  It 
was  not  so  well  attended  as  I  had  expected.  To  be  sure, 
the  women  were  hidden  behind  a  partition  of  reeds,  and  we, 
placed  under  a  shed,  could  not  even  see  all  the  men,  who  were 
crouching  down  anywhere  in  the  shade.  There  was  no  lack 
of  speeches  :  in  the  space  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  we  had  no 
less  than  nine  or  ten,  with  a  few  hymns  in  between.  I  say 
nothing  about  our  own  addresses,  of  which  the  aim  was  to 
present  the  servants  of  Jesus  Christ  as  ambassadors  to  the 
people  of  Nalolo,  so  that  no  one  should  be  mistaken  as  to  their 
character  or  their  mission.  The  address  of  the  Gambella 
from  Lealuyi,  who  represented  the  king  and  spoke  in  his  name, 
was  marked  by  sound  sense.  Those  of  the  queen,  of  her 
husband,  and  of  the  principal  chiefs,  while  expressing  their  joy 
in  at  last  possessing  the  missionary  they  had  so  long  been 
begging  for,  betrayed  some  natural  apprehensions  on  the  thorny 
subject  of  slavery.  In  the  afternoon,  I  once  more  addressed 
to  these  people  the  appeals  and  warnings  suggested  by  the 
prospect  of  my  departure. 

I  afterwards  learnt  that  the  Gambella  had  strongly,  but 
secretly^  recommended  the  queen  and  her  councillors  to  exercise 
a  strict  surveillance  as  much  over  M.  Beguin's  workmen  as 
over  his  purchases  of  food.  Poor  Barotsi,  they  cannot  conceal 
their  weakness !  But  all  the  same,  our  friends  the  Bcguins 
have  a  fine  work  before  them,  and  a  great  one.  Our  brother 
young,  full  of  enthusiasm  and  energy  :  it  is  pleasant  to  sec, 


566  ON    THE   THRESHOLD  OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

and  it  fills  us  with  hope  for  the  future,  not  only  of  the  station  he 
is  founding,  but  also  for  our  beloved  Barotsi  Mission. 

He  has  already  built  two  rather  primitive  little  huts,  by  way 
of  taking  possession.  Apart  from  the  fact  that  the  country 
is  in  nowise  beautiful,  the  situation  of  the  station  is  second 
only  to  that  of  Kazungula.  It  will  be  raised  on  a  little  mound, 
commanding  the  river  at  the  place  where  it  makes  a  fine  bend, 
constituting  the  port  of  this  second  capital  of  the  kingdom.  On 
all  sides,  the  view  extending  over  the  vast  plain  which  we  call 
the  Valley  is  limited  only  by  the  horizon.  A  solitary  palm  tree, 
at  some  little  distance,  serves  as  the  sole  landmark.  But  wait 
a  little,  and  the  church  will  arise  like  a  blessed  beacon  in  the 
land  of  darkness,  and  "  the  wilderness  shall  blossom  like  a  rose." 

Sefula,  October  20th. 

Incredible  as  it  may  seem,  after  my  having  left  Sefula  on 
the  day  appointed,  the  nth,  here  I  am  back  again  !  In  fact, 
our  last  meeting  had  taken  place,  we  had  bidden  each  other 
farewell,  at  the  signal  of  departure  the  waggon  had  moved 
away,  and  little  by  little  the  station  was  lost  to  sight  among 
the  trees.  Scarcely  half  an  hour  later,  a  cracking  sound  roused 
me  from  my  thoughts,  and  the  waggon  stopped.  A  spoke 
in  one  of  the  large  wheels  had  broken,  and  we  found  that  it 
was  quite  rotten.  The  paint  had  concealed  it  all  from  me. 
What  should  1  have  done  if  such  an  accident  had  happened  a 
few  days  later  in  the  marshes  of  the  Motondo  ?  Happily,  we  were 
still  close  to  the  station.  We  brought  back  my  poor  mutilated 
cart,  not  without  difficulty  ;  for  in  the  clearing  where  we  were, 
my  boys,  so-called  leaders,  managed  to  run  it  up  against  a 
tree  and  to  break  the  pole. 

While  M.  Adolphe  Jalla  had  gone  in  haste  to  Lealuyi  to 
receive  the  provisions  brought  by  the  canoes,  M.  Beguin,  who 
is  very  clever  with  his  hands  and  full  of  goodwill,  threw  off 
his  coat,  and  set  to  work  to  mend  it.  He  did  so,  as  quickly 
and  as  well  as  any  man  not  in  the  trade  could  have  done 
under  the  circumstances.  A  piece  of  wood  was  stuck  into  the 
place  of  the  broken  spoke,  and  another,  green  and  roughly 
squared,  in  that  of  the  pole.  The  waggon,  thus  patched  up, 
grosso  modo,  could  now  proceed  ;  but  how  far  ?  A  more  thorough 
examination  proved  that  it  was  in  a  far  worse  condition  than 


i894]  JOURNEY   INTERRUPTED.  567 

I  had  at  first  imagined.  I  have  neither  the  taste  nor  the 
talent  for  whechvright's  work,  and  among  the  Zambesian  boys 
I  had  with  mc  not  one  knows  how  to  handle  a  tool.  It  would 
have  been  folly — tempting  God — to  try  to  undertake  such  a 
journey  at  all  risks,  with  a  worm-eaten,  rotten,  dislocated  waggon. 
After  two  days  of  struggles  and  reflections,  I  had  to  recognise 
the  finger  of  God  in  all  these  hindrances,  and  to  renounce  my 
expedition.  Much  as  it  had  cost  me  to  consent  to  a  journey 
to  Basuto-land,  and  to  maintain  my  resolution  after  the  news 
of  the  departure  of  my  best  friend,'  it  cost  me  no  less  now 
to  give  it  up.  It  was  such  a  sudden  and  complete  upsetting 
of  all  my  thoughts  and  plans,  that  if  there  had  been  the  slightest 
possibility  of  going  on  I  should  not  have  hesitated  to  do  so. 

For  an  old  traveller  like  myself,  the  fault — and  an  inexcusable, 
unpardonable  one — was  that  of  not  having  satisfied  myself  as 
to  the  condition  of  my  cart.  As  I  have  said,  the  paint,  that 
cloak  of  misery— and  there  are  many  such  in  this  poor  world — 
and  the  fact  that  I  had  carefully  preserved  these  wheels  under 
cover,  had  deceived  me.  Our  climate,  the  wind,  the  sun,  and 
the  sand  deteriorate  everything  :  it  is  heart-breaking.  A  friend, 
moved  to  pity  at  the  thought  of  our  losses  and  difficulties,  had 
indeed  counselled  me  to  get  iron  wheels  ;  but  the  wheels  alone 
are  not  enough,  and  then  they  would  have  to  be  constructed 
with  a  view  to  our  sands.  Others  have  advised  camels  !  Where 
should  we  procure  them  ? 

With  a  little  common  sense  and  foresight  at  the  right 
time,  how  much  work,  how  much  fatigue  and  trouble,  I  should 
have  saved  myself  Nevertheless,  I  cannot  help  thinking  there 
must  be  a  purpose  in  it,  both  for  the  people  and  for  myself. 
God  forbid  that  I  should  hesitate  when  He  sends  me,  or  run 
when  He  holds  me  back  !  A  soldier  does  not  dispute  the  orders 
of  his  chief,  however  strange  and  contradictory  they  may  appear. 
So  I  shall  calmly  return  to  Lealuyi,  and  put  myself  into  harness 
again.  Adolphe  Jalla  would  have  been  overwhelmed  by  the 
work  and  the  manual  labour  both  at  once,  and  Willie  Mokalapa^ 
by  the  increasing  school,  which  numbers  already  more  than 
one  hundred  and  ninety-five  pupils !  "  How  glad  I  am,"  wrote 
dear  Adolphe,  "  of  the  decision  you  have  made  to  remain,  and 

'  M.  Mabille,  who  had  just  died,  May  20th,  1894.     Sec  Introduction. 
*  A  Basuto  catechist  newly  arrived. 


568  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

not  to  venture  into  the  desert  with  this  miserable  waggon ! 
For,  in  view  of  the  present  spiritual  awakening,  it  is  important, 
to  say  the  least,  that  you  should  not  be  absent,  and  I  firmly 
believe  that  God  has  stopped  you  to  bring  you  back  here." 

This  awakening  I  have  already  spoken  about.  It  continues. 
I  had  just  retraced  my  steps  with  my  invalided  carriage,  when 
letters  reached  me  from  Kazungula.  What  refreshing  news ! 
Our  brother  Louis  Jalla  tells  me  that,  among  others,  one  of 
my  former  boys,  Likulela,  whom  Litia  had  taken  away  from 
our  house,^  has  also  publicly  declared  himself  for  the  Saviour  ; 
and  he  has  given  them  satisfaction  and  pleasure  during  several 
months,  just  as  he  did  to  us. 

And  then  Litia  himself  wrote  to  me,  expressing  his  repent- 
ance, and  his  ardent  desire  to  return  to  his  God.  I  guessed 
the  rest  when  I  received  from  our  evangelist  Willie  Mokalapa 
the  following  note : — 

"  According  to  the  desire  and  at  the  request  of  the  king, 
I  am  letting  you  know,  my  father,  that  Litia  has  written  to 
him,  humbling  himself  for  his  wanderings,  and  informing  him 
of  his  return  to  God.  He  asks  the  king's  authority  for  sending 
away  his  second  wife,  and  exhorts  him  to  hesitate  no  longer, 
but  to  give  himself  to  Jesus,  and  accept  him  as  his  Saviour. 
He  quotes  John  iii.  16,  and  adds,  underlining  the  words,  that 
he  that  believes  is  not  condeumed.  The  king  has  answered :  '  I 
am  very  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  taking  your  place  again 
among  the  children  of  God.  But  I  rejoice  with  trembling. 
Is  your  profession  to-day  any  more  sincere  than  that  of  yester- 
day ?  What  proof  have  I  ?  Be  a  man  to-day,  be  true,  and  do 
not  again  deceive  God,  the  missionaries,  and  the  nation.  Yes, 
send  away  Mokena.  You  have  been  a  stumbling-block  to  every 
one.  I  myself  felt  ashamed  and  sorry  when  the  missionaries 
spoke  of  you  as  a  renegade.  My  councillors,  believing  me  to 
be  on  the  point  of  becoming  converted,  said,  "  How  can  you 
think  of  it !  Here  is  your  son,  who  has  been  brought  up 
by  the  missionaries,  and  taught  by  them — he  had  even  believed 
these  things,  and  now  he  denies  them  !  Is  it  not  a  proof  that 
there  is  nothing  good  or  true  in  them  ?  "  Perhaps  one  day 
I  too  shall  enter  into  them.'  " 

'  See  page  442. 


1S94]  litia's  installation.  569 

However  pessimistic  my  views  of  the  present  movement 
may  be,  it  is  undeniable  that  it  is  sufficiently  pronounced  to 
turn  the  thoughts  of  the  people  towards  the  things  of  God. 
*'  Now,  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of 
God."  So  why  should  we  not  dare  to  expect  great  things  ? 
What  is  there  impossible  to  our  God  ?  Is  His  arm  shortened, 
that  He  cannot  save?  Has  His  ear  grown  heavy,  that  He 
should  not  hear  ?  ^ 

'  With  regard  to  Litia's  return,  M.  L.  Jalla  wrote:  "He  arrived  [at 
Kazungula  to  be  installed  as  official  chief],  and  was  received  vvitli  immense 
enthusiasm,  especially  as  this  j'ear  his  father  had  given  him  the  right  to  the 
royal  salutation,  the  shoa/c/a.  With  Litia,  a  new  era  seemed  to  be  beginning. 
A  few  days  after  his  arrival,  he  banished  the  native  beer  from  the  village, 
and  officially  declared  that  he  had  renounced  the  invocation  of  his  ancestors 
and  consultation  of  sorcerers  ;  and  he  urged  all  his  subordinates  to  attend 
the  services  and  send  their  children  to  school,  saying  the  missionaries  had 
come  not  only  for  the  chiefs,  but  for  everybody,  men  and  women  alike.  All 
that  of  his  own  accord.  .  .  .  Instead  of  inaugurating  his  villnge  by  a  heathen 
ceremony,  he  requested  me  to  consecrate  its  founding  by  prayer  to  God.  Of 
course,  I  acceded ;  and  on  the  day  of  the  ceremony,  Litia  publicly  repeated 
all  these  declarations.  Having  united  with  us  one  Monday  evening  for  the 
meeting  of  converts,  he  made  us  a  frank  and  humble  declaration  of  breaking 
with  the  world  and  giving  himself  to  God.  '  Henceforth,'  said  he  to  these 
young  men  and  women  (the  converts),  '  I  am  one  of  you.  I  look  on  you  as  my 
brothers,  for  I  too  desire  to  be  a  child  of  God,  and  ask  of  Him  the  strength 
to  be  faithful  to  Him  this  time.' 

"The  next  Sunday  (October  7th,  1894),  Litia  rose  once  more  before  a 
numerous  audience,  and  said  to  the  crowd,  '  Henceforth,  do  not  look  on 
me  as  one  of  you  any  more,  for  I  have  broken  with  the  bonds  of  Satan  in 
order  to  become  a  cliild  of  God.  If  I  have  sent  away  my  second  wife, 
it  was  not  because  I  did  not  love  her,  nor  yet  because  there  was  anything 
between  us.  I  did  it  solely  to  obey  God,  and  serve  Him.  Make  haste  and 
be  converted  to  Him,  now  that  He  gives  you  the  chance,  and  removes  all 
hindrances.  You  shall  not  say  any  more  that  it  is  your  masters  that  hinder 
you.' " 

Africa  has  been  the  grave  of  so  many  Christian  professions,  both  native 
and  European,  that  one  dares  not  build  too  much  upon  Litia's  present  promise. 
But  since  the  foregoing  events  his  conduct  has  been  exemplary,  both  as  a 
chief  and  as  a  convert.  As  to  the  marriage  question,  Ihe  crux  of  African 
chiefs,  he  is  not  only  a  monogamist,  but  he  (alone  among  his  countrymen) 
accords  to  his  wife  the  position  in  which  Christian  marriage  places  her:  every 
day  she  and  tlicir  child  sit  down  to  table  togctlicr,  European  fasliion.  This 
may  seem  a  trifling  matter  in  our  eyes,  but  nothing  could  proclaim  more 
loudly  to  Ills  people  that  he  had  forsaken  a  heathen  Jiarem  for  a  Ciiristian 
iiome. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

A  Parish  Visitation — The  King's  Mother — Two  Staunch  Conservatives — The 
Resurrection — Wina  and  the  Question  of  Pol3'gamy — Hugging  their 
Chains — A  Royal  Baby — A  Little  Prisoner — Photograpliy  under  Diffi- 
culties— Nyondo's  Wedding — Cliristian  i>.  Heathen  Marriage — Paulus's 
Zeal  outruns  Discretion — Before  Governors  and  Kings — ^The  Christians 
acquitted — Sickness — The  Water  Supply — The  Bible  School  begun — 
The  New  Year. 

Lealuyi,  November  2\tJi,  1894. 

WORK  on  the  great  canal  of  the  capital  is  at  an  end,  at 
least  for  this  year  :  the  canal,  dry  only  the  other  day, 
is  now  flowing  on  a  level  with  its  banks,  and  canoes  go  to 
and  fro,  drifting  and  crossing  one  another  incessantly.  The 
Barotsi  are  proud  of  it,  and  so  are  we.  The  capital  is  over- 
flowing with  people  who  are  returning  home — the  Makoma, 
Mayeye,  and  others.  It  is  a  good  opportunity  for  evangelisation, 
so  I  take  my  book  and  stick,  and  start. 

My  first  visit  is  to  the  king's  old  mother,  Inonge.  She  is 
ill ;  she  gives  me  a  lengthy  diagnosis  of  her  case.  Her  heart,  it 
seems,  is  no  longer  in  its  place  ;  it  is  suspended  above  her  lungs  ; 

it  throbs  and  throbs,  comes  up  into  her  throat    and  then 1 

spare  you  the  rest. 

I  touch  on  the  things  of  God.  She  hates  them.  Poor  old 
woman  !  she  is  eminently  conservative.  She  has  never  once  set 
foot  inside  the  church.     SJie  in  church,  indeed ! 

"  All  my  children,  grandchildren,  sons-in-law,  and  daughters- 
in-law  are  there,"  she  says.  "  How  could  I  sec  myself  with  them  ? 
It  could  not  be.     And  then,  I  have  no  legs." 

This  is  a  hyperbole  which  does  not  prevent  her  from  going 
about,  and  even  travelling.  But  I  seized  the  opportunity  to 
tell  her  the  story  of  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy,  which  surprised 
her   very    much.     She   laughed   heartily   at   the  idea  of  being 

570 


i894]  NARUBUTU.  5^1 

brought  to  the  church  by  four  of  her  men.  For  anything  else, 
it  would  only  be  quite  natural.  To  turn  the  conversation, 
which  had  become  slightly  embarrassing  to  her,  she  began  to 
beg.  Upon  this,  I  rose  and  left.  She  kept  back  my  boy  to 
pour  out  her  full  heart  to  him.  I  am  such  a  miser,  it  seems  ; 
"  formerly,  yes,  formerly,  I  knew  she  was  the  mother  of  my 
brother  (the  king),  and  I  did  not  forget  her.  Now  I  give  her 
nothing,  not  even  a  woollen  blanket." 

Stage  by  stage,  house  by  house,  at  last  I  reach  the  dwelling 
of  Narubutu,  another  conservative,  like  old  Inonge,  also  old 
and  blind  :  he  retains  all  his  faculties,  and  possesses  them  in 
a  marked  degree.  No  one  has  had  so  great  an  influence  as 
he,  as  much  in  public  affairs  as  over  Lewanika  himself.  I 
always  enjoy  a  talk  with  him  ;  we  are  great  friends.  This  time, 
it  is  he  who  begins  upon  me. 

"  I  am  dying  of  dulness,"  he  says  ;  "  I  have  no  one  to  talk 
to.  You  have  told  me  to  pray  to  God,  your  God  ;  but  if  this 
God  of  yours  were  true  and  good  as  you  say.  He  would  have 
cured  me  long  ago.  And  you,  have  you  any  affection  for 
me  ?  I  don't  believe  you  have,  although  you  tell  me  so.  If 
you  had,  you  would  have  persuaded  God  to  restore  my  sight 
long  ago,  since  you  are  His  servant,  and  stand  well  with  Him." 

"  You  are  old,  Narubutu." 

"  What  do  you  say,  Moruti  ?  Blind  because  I  am  old  ? 
l\Iy  brother  is  older  than  I  am,  and  he  is  not  blind.  Why 
should  /  be  ?  " 

"  God  permits  such  things  that  we  may  seek  Him.  He  does 
to  us  what  wise  parents  do  to  their  children  ;  it  is  His  rod, 
and  He  only  uses  it  to  make  us  good.  Ah,  my  friend,  if  you 
too  were  to  change,  everything  within  you  would  be  light,  peace, 
and  joy." 

"  Light  ?  Nonsense  !  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  I  should  see 
God?     Who  has  seen  Him.     Have  you?" 

"  Tell  me,  Narubutu,  have  you  a  .soul  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  have  one  :  who  doubts  it  ?  " 

"  But  have  you  seen  it  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not :  can  anybody  sec  his  soul  ?  I  only  know 
I  have  one.  But,"  continued  the  old  man,  as  if  to  elude  my 
conclusion,  and  as  if  a  new  idea  had  come  into  his  head,  "where 
does  one  go  to  when  one  is  dead  ?     We  Barotsi  say  that  the 


$f2  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

soul  goes  to  the  gods  {inelimd)  somewhere,  but  I  do  not  know 
where." 

I  read  him  several  passages  of  the  Word  of  God  on  this 
subject.  John  v.  28,  29/  struck  him,  and  he  interrupted  me 
with, — 

"  Vvhat !  you  say  that  the  dead,  the  dead,  will  rise  again, 
and  see  God  ?     Rubbish  !     Lies  !  " 

He  burst  into  a  loud  fit  of  laughter.  By  this  time,  the  courts 
of  his  harem  were  full  of  men,  who  laughed  too,  and  applauded 
by  clapping  their  hands. 

"  Don't  laugh  so  much,  my  friends  ;  this  is  not  nonsense. 
It  is  a  certain  truth  that  the  dead  will  rise  again  :  all  those  will 
rise  who  die,  whether  hunting,  travelling,  on  the  river,  or  in 
the  deserts, — those  whom  you  have  burnt  as  sorcerers,  those  you 
have  killed  ;  children,  old  people,  slaves,  masters — all!" 

Fresh  bursts  of  laughter,  but  short-lived  ones. 

"  You  say,"  said  old  Narubutu,  "  that  all  will  live  again,  even 
sorcerers,  and  my  children,  my  grandchildren,  myself!  It  is  not 
possible  ;  it  is  not  true.  What  is  dead,  is  dead,  and  does  not 
live  again." 

'*  Really !  You  are  evidently  not  aware  that  the  thing  has 
already  happened.  A  Man  was  put  to  death  ;  His  hands  and 
feet  were  nailed  to  two  pieces  of  wood  crossed.  He  was  so  com- 
pletely dead,  that,  when  they  pierced  His  side,  congealed  blood 
came  out — blood  and  water.  He  was  put  into  a  tomb  ;  but  on 
the  third  day.  He  came  out  alive.  It  is  an  incontestable  fact. 
This  Man  was  God's  own  Son,  the  same  Who  spoke  the  words 
which  have  so  surprised  you."     And  then  I  read  Rev.  vii.  9  : — 

"I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all 
nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and 
before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands." 

"  What  do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  I  say,"  said  the  old  man  pensively,  "  that  if  it  is  true,  it 
is  very  astounding." 

Then  leaving  him  to  his  reflections,  I  took  up  my  seat,  and 
went  to  sit  in  the  great  court,  filled  with  people  who  had  come 

'  "The  hour  is  coming  in  the  which  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  His 
voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection 
of  life;  and  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 


1894]  WINA.  573 

to  greet  Narubutu  before  returning  home.  Their  faces  lighted 
up.  I  had  first  to  renew  acquaintance  (for  I  have  a  bad  memory 
for  names,  alas  !  and  they  know  it)  with  each  chief  of  a  little 
village, — here  one  to  whom  I  gave  some  medicine  I  know  not 
when  ;  there  another  who  had  met  me  I  know  not  where.  And 
then,  when  I  resumed  the  subject  of  the  Resurrection  of  the  dead 
and  of  the  Last  Judgment,  you  should  have  seen  all  the  craning 
necks,  fixed  eyes,  motionless  heads.  If  only  I  could  visit  them 
at  home ! 

Soon  afterwards  I  found  myself  at  Wina's.  He  is  disekouilwa, 
an  important  personal  servant  of  the  king — a  true  Zacchaeus 
among  these  gigantic  Barotsi.  He  is  remarkably  gentle  and 
amiable,  and  comes  regularly  to  the  services,  always  dressed 
up  in  a  soldier's  tunic,  of  what  origin  I  know  not.  His  eyes, 
rather  dull,  like  those  of  most  of  our  blacks,  nevertheless  denote 
much  intelligence.  His  court,  too,  was  full  of  strangers.  His 
wife  is  there,  a  pleasant  young  woman,  caressing  a  baby.  I 
caress  it  too,  which  sets  every  one  at  their  ease  and  smiling. 
So  there  I  am  one  of  them  at  once. 

Wina  began  by  asking  me  questions  about  conversion,  and  the 
most  intelligent  among  his  visitors  did  the  same.  I  encouraged 
this,  and  answered  every  one  and  everything.  The  conversation 
became  very  animated  ;  everybody  was  interested. 

At  last,  before  getting  up,  "  Tell  me,  Wina,  my  friend,"  I 
said,  "  tell  me  why  you  are  not  converted — you  who  know  the 
truth  so  well?'" 

"  But  I  avi  going  to  be  converted.  Certainly  we  shall 
become  Christians  in  time.  Do  you  not  see  how  Lcwanika  is 
opening  the  way  for  us?  Only  wait  a  little;  have  patience. 
We  are  coming." 

"  Don't  talk  to  me  about  others  ;  speak  about  yourself.  You 
are  going  to  be  converted  :  you  are  coming — but  when  ?  Have 
you  fixed  the  day  ?     Tell  me.     Why  not  to-day — now  ?  " 

He  hung  his  head. 

"  Because  1  am  afraid,"  he  said  ;  "  the  law  of  God  is  hard, 
difficult." 

I  made  him  read  Matt.  xi.  28-30,  word  by  word  :  "  My  yoke 
is  easy." 

"  I  understand,"  he  said,  with  a  long  sigh.  "  But — but,  you 
see " 


574  ON   THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

"  Now,  my  friend,  tell  me  frankly  what  your  difficulty  is." 

"  My  difficulty  is  that  of  all  the  Barotsi  ;  it  is  the  women. 
How  is  it  possible  for  a  Moruti  to  live  with  only  one  wife,  and 
be  satisfied  and  happy  ?  " 

"  Ah,  yes  !  the  women,"  repeated  all  the  men,  who  filled  the 
court. 

His  wife  added,  "  Neither  do  we  want  a  Gospel  which 
forbids  several  women  to  belong  to  one  man,  to  help  each  other, 
and  keep  each  other  company." 

I  looked  very  straight  at  her. 

"  Are  you  speaking  the  truth,  woman  ?  Then  what  is 
that  malady  which  consumes  you  all,  what  you  call  lefoufa 
(harem  jealousy)  ?  " 

They  all  clapped  their  hands.     "  That  is  well  said  !  " 

"  Oh,"  said  the  poor  woman,  with  some  confusion,  "  I  was  not 
speaking  seriously.     I  just  wanted  to  see  what  you  would  say." 

"  Ah  !  very  possibly.  But  /  am  quite  serious."  Then  turn- 
ing to  Wina,  I  said  to  him,  "  I  quite  understand  you,  my 
friend  ;  of  course,  it  must  cost  you  a  great  deal  to  give  up  your 
wives  and  all  your  carnal  pleasures.  But  suppose  you  are 
eating  dry  bread  "  (a  great  privation  for  the  blacks,  and  a  hard 
necessity),  "  and  I  am  eating  mine  with  honey "  (which  the 
Barotsi  chiefs  consider  a  great  delicacy,  and  try  to  keep  fo/. 
their  own  exclusive  use),  "  tell  me,  would  you  not  envy  me  ? 
And  if  you  saw  me  sharing  these  delights  with  other  friends, 
and  left  you  on  one  side,  what  would  you  say  ?  If,  on  the 
contrary,  I  were  to  say,  *  Wina,  leave  your  dry  bread,  and  come 
and  share  my  honey '  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  should  clap  my  hands  !  "  (laughter). 

"  Well,  that  is  just  what  I  am  doing.  You  are  still  gnawing 
the  stale,  old  bread  of  polygamy  and  all  your  old  customs.  I 
have  found  in  the  things  of  God  a  honey  which  is  my  daily 
delight.  I  invite  you,  I  press  you,  to  come  and  eat  out  of  the 
same  dish  with  me.  You  hesitate,  and  laugh  disdainfully,  and 
say  to  me,  '  I  cannot  forsake  the  dry,  old  crust  that  I  am 
gnawing.'  If  you  would  only  taste  my  honey,  how  you  would 
laugh  with  joy !  You  would  say,  '  How  stupid  I  was  to  stick 
so  obstinately  to  that  dry,  stale  bread,  like  a  poor  slave,  when  I 
could  be  eating  honey  to  my  heart's  content,  like  a  great  lord!'" 

The  lesson  was  understood,  and  I  left  them  all  to  repeat  it 


i894]  A   LITTLE   PRLSONER.  575 

and  comment  on  it  at  their  leisure.  Ah,  how  I  wish  I  could 
pass  it  on  to  all  those  who  are  hcsitatini;  between  the  deceitful 
joys  of  the  world  and  the  service  of  the  Lord  Jesus  ! 

December  yth. 

Litia,  when  he  left  for  Kazungula,  had  nsked  me  to  send 
him  the  photo<?;raph  of  his  child,  whom  Lewanika  is  keeping 
here  to  bring  up.  He  is  now  a  little  fellow  of  two.  But,  would 
you  believe  it  ?  no  one  has  yet  seen  his  face  beyond  the  circle 
of  his  near  relatives  and  the  slaves  attached  to  his  service. 
Nobody  is  stipposed  to  know  his  name,  nor  yet  whether  he  is 
a  boy  or  a  girl.  For  two  years,  none  but  those  in  his  service 
have  entered  the  court  where  he  is  growing  up  ;  and  if  he  himself 
has  been  obliged  to  go  out,  it  is  only  wrapped  up  in  furs  to 
the  point  of  suffocation.  If  he  has  to  travel  in  a  canoe,  he 
is  carried  thither,  hidden  in  this  way.  And  then,  once  he  is 
deposited  in  his  tent  of  mats,  they  are  careful  to  close  it  at  both 
ends.  This  is  the  lot  of  all  children  of  the  blood  royal.  At 
length,  one  day  it  happens  that  the  little  captive,  carried  away 
by  impatience,  upsets  the  reed  door,  and  darts  jubilantly  out  into 
the  open  air,  followed  by  his  stupefied  slaves  !  Then  there  is 
nothing  for  it  but  to  present  him  to  the  king  in  the  evening, 
and  to  grant  him  that  liberty  which  makes  the  happiness  of 
the  poor.  You  understand  ;  it  is  the  evil  eye  that  they  fear, 
although  the  poor  little  prisoner  is  covered  with  amulets.  There 
is  probably  another  reason — namely,  the  mystery  which  generally 
imposes  on  the  vulgar.  The  Barotsi  kings  pretend  to  a  divine 
origin  ;  and,  to  put  it  mildly,  they  certainly  like  to  remind  the 
people  of  it. 

So  this  is  the  dear  little  visitor  brought  me  with  Lewanika's 
express  authority  by  Maondo,  one  of  the  king's  wives,  an 
intelligent  and  amiable  person,  who  has  charge  of  him.  Poor 
little  fellow !  she  showed  him  to  me,  a  big  bundle  very  carefully 
wrapped  up,  carried  on  the  back  of  a  slave.  "  Would  I  not,  at 
the  king's  request,  consent  to  take  the  little  prince's  likeness  ?  " 
"  Certainly — but  I  cannot  take  it,  hidden  as  he  is  in  that  bundle. 
She  must  unpack  him." 

Great  was  her  trouble — long  and  earnestly  she  pleaded. 
Making  one  concession  after  another,  she  would  have  consented 
to  unpack  him  (I  had  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  seeing  him  a  long 


576  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1894 

time  ago,  so  apparently  /  have  not  the  evil  eye),  but  it  must  be 
in  my  room,  with  the  windows  carefully  closed  ;  she  would  even 
have  consented  to  my  doing  it  in  the  court,  on  condition  that  I 
ordered  all  our  boys  and  girls  and  all  our  workmen  to  hide. 
It  was  no  use  arguing — all  my  eloquence  was  so  much  waste  of 
breath  ;  she  would  not  yield,  nor  I  cither  ;  and,  astounded  at 
my  obstinacy,  she  returned  home  sadly  with  her  great  bundle, 
without  having  unpacked  it.^- 

This  incident,  apparently  insignificant,  would  alone  suffice  to 
show  how  the  Barotsi  cling  to  their  customs,  while  themselves 
recognising  that  they  are  unreasonable  and  bad.  For  a  long 
while  yet,  these  will  be  hidden  shoals  to  our  poor  Barotsi 
Christians. 

December  2()th. 

We  have  had  our  festivals,  and  an  extra  one  thrown  in, 
nothing  less  than  Nyondo's  marriage.  Do  you  know  who 
Nyondo  is?  He  was  a  poor  Moshukulumboe,  a  slave  of  the 
king,  who  obtained  leave  to  come  to  us,  so  as  to  attend  the 
school.  He  has  been  converted,  and  is  a  real  joy  to  us.  His 
gravity  is  imperturbable  ;  if  he  laughs,  it  is  only  by  accident, 
especially  in  presence  of  his  superiors  ;  he  is  very  reserved,  a 
man  of  few  words,  but  truthful  and  honest — it  was  not  always  so. 
In  my  house,  he  has  almost  taken  the  place  of  Nguana-Ngombe. 
The  good  qualities  he  has  developed  since  becoming  a  Christian 
have  won  for  him  the  king's  esteem  ;  and,  I  need  not  say,  my 
own  affection.  He  is  not  very  intelligent,  but  he  has  a  heart,  and 
I  discovered  it  when  I  least  expected  it.  His  greatest  desire  is 
to  become  an  evangelist-schoolmaster.  The  king  is  aware  of 
this,  and  gives  him  full  liberty. 

He  engaged  himself  to  a  young  girl  whom  he  had  obtained 
from  the  king  (although  the  latter  much  appreciated  her  services) 
and  had  placed  with  Mme.  A.  Jalla,  where  she  developed  in 
every  way,  and  was  eventually  converted. 

This  was  the  marriage  which  took  place  on  December  21st, 
the  first  to  be  celebrated  in  Lealuyi.  We  expected  to  see  a 
crowd.     But  no  !     The  church  was  not  full,  the  benches  only 

*  Eventually,  but  not  till  weeks  later,  she  consented  to  unroll  the  royal 
infant,  and  he  was  photographed  in  the  mission-court  before  children  and 
slaves. 


1894]  liOANERGES  577 

moderately  occupied.  The  kint^"  was  there  with  some  of  his 
likomboa  ;  but  none  of  the  threat  chiefs,  except  Scmunja,  who  is 
a  Christian.  The  ceremony  was  none  the  less  very  impressive. 
In  my  address,  I  necessarily  made  a  point  of  bringing  out  the 
Divine  institution  of  Christian  marriage,  in  contrast  with  the 
sores  and  rottenness  of  polygamy  ;  and  the  position  of  a  Christian 
wife  with  that  of  heathen  women. 

I  wondered  whether  they  had  really  understood  me.  Under- 
stand ?  They  understood  so  well,  that  my  whole  discourse  was 
carried  from  door  to  door  and  commented  on,  till  the  whole 
village  was  in  a  ferment.  The  men  were  furious  ;  the  women 
wondered  "  what  they  had  done  to  make  God  angry." 

December  ^isf. 

That  was  Friday.  We  were  celebrating  Christmas  on  Sunday. 
The  execution  of  our  well-prepared  hymns  and  choruses  was  as 
good  as  we  dared  to  hope  from  the  materials  we  had  to  work 
with.  The  evangelists  were  there, — Paulus  Kanedi,  from  Sefula  ; 
Jacob  Moshabesha,  from  Nalolo ;  and  our  Willie  :  so  it  was  a 
good  opportunity  for  Gospel-preaching.  Adolphe  Jalla  opened 
the  service  with  a  splendid  address :  "  The  Subject  of  Joy " 
[i.e.  the  Birth  of  Christ].  The  others  followed.  But  Paulus,  our 
Boanerges,  launched  thunderbolts  :  he  spoke  like  one  inspired, 
addressing  all  classes  of  his  audience  by  turns — the  queens, 
the  slaves,  the  chiefs,  the  king,  each  one  had  his  account  to 
settle.  Oh  why  were  these  powerful,  these  most  solemn  appeals 
accompanied  by  an  unfortunate  gesture — t/ie  most  unfortunate 
imaginable  ?  Paulus  pointed  with  his  finger  at  his  hearers ! 
That  was  bad  enough  for  the  general  public ;  but  when  he 
addressed  himself  directly  to  the  king,  there  was  almost  an 
explosion.  We  ourselves  knew  nothing  of  this  ;  we  never  even 
suspected  it.  But  when  we  were  outside,  it  burst  all  bounds  ; 
every  group  was  expressing  itself  without  reserve.  Anywhere, 
the  forefinger  of  an  orator  shaken  in  a  person's  face  is  in  doubtful 
taste  ;  but  here,  and  among  all  black  people,  it  is  the  gravest 
insult  that  a  man  can  offer  to  another  !  Only,  our  worthy  Paulus 
thought  that  everything  was  permitted  to  a  preacher,  even  this 
unfortunate  gesture,  without  its  giving  offence.  He  made  a 
mistake.  In  the  afternoon,  none  of  the  likomboa  and  none  of 
the  chiefs  were  at  the  second  service,  not  even  the  king. 


5/8  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [i894 

This  was  a  bad  sign.  The  very  next  day,  two  men  came, 
in  the  name  of  the  chiefs,  to  summon  the  evangehsts  and 
some  of  our  boys  to  the  lekJiothla.  Being  too  unwell  to  drag 
myself  thither,^  I  was  compelled  to  ask  M.  Adolphe  Jalla  to  go, 
hoping  that  his  presence  would  act  as  a  restraint  on  the  Barotsi, 
and  insisted  that  the  king  should  himself  preside  over  the  court. 
From  lo  a.m.  till  5  p.m.,  we  were  the  prey  of  terrible  anxieties. 
I  was,  above  all,  concerned  about  my  boys,  and  could  only 
confide  them  to  the  Lord,  Whom  they  were  called  upon  to 
confess.  For  themselves,  they  had  neither  shame  nor  fear. 
They  were  at  once  put  in  the  place  of  the  accused — that  is  to 
say,  of  the  condcvined  \  they  also  knew,  that  in  all  probability 
they  would  not  leave  the  place  without  being  cruelly  garotted, 
and — who  knows  what  more  beside  ? 

M.  Adolphe  Jalla  will  tell  you  of  the  courage  and  grace  God 
gave  to  our  young  men  ;  the  outrageous  insults  which  the  excited 
chiefs  rained  upon  their  heads,  and  upon  those  of  the  evangelists. 
He  will  tell  you  of  the  terrible  moment  of  suspense  which 
elapsed  between  the  defence  our  brothers  made  for  themselves 
and  the  king's  speech,  and  the  astonishment  of  hearing  him 
frankly  and  without  the  least  ambiguity  take  the  part  of  our 
boys,  our  evangelists,  and  ourselves,  and  partially  unveil  the 
intrigues  of  the  chiefs,  who  clung  to  futile  pretexts,  in  order  to 
vent  the  hatred  with  which  the  Gospel  inspires  them.  God 
be  praised !  It  is  a  deliverance ;  I  scarcely  dare  to  say  a 
victory.  For  these  old  limbs  of  paganism  will  not  allow 
themselves  to  be  beaten,  and  will  be  sure  to  hatch  other  plots. 
But  the  final  issue  is  not  doubtful,  and  that  gives  us  courage 
and  joy.     It  will  strengthen  our  young  Christians.^ 

What  has  saddened  us  in  this  affair  is  the  conduct  of  my 
friend  Semonja,  the  influential  chief  who  generally  accompanies 
me  on  my  journeys.  He  is  converted,  and  is  both  amiable  and 
earnest ;  but  he  was  afraid  to  take  our  part.     He  came  to-day 

'  M.  Coillard  was  seriously  ill  at  this  time. 

^  Paulus  frankly  apologised  for  his  unintentional  discourtesy,  and  pro- 
tested the  respect  he  felt  and  had  always  shown  for  the  king.  "But,"  he 
concluded,  "  that  will  not  prevent  me  from  speaking  the  truth  and  warning 
you  about  your  sins." 

It  was  after  this  speech  that  Lewanika  astonished  every  one  by  taking  the 
evangelists"  part, 


iS94]  BEFORE  GOVERNORS  AND  KINGS  579 

(the  31st)  to  humble  himself  for  his  behaviour.  But  such 
cowardice  makes  one  anxious. 

The  Adolphe  Jallas  left  on  Saturday  for  Nalolo.  So  I  was 
alone  with  the  evangelist,  to  whom  I  gave  the  whole  of  the  first  part 
of  the  service,  reserving  the  preaching  for  myself.  At  the  door, 
I  was  warned  that  the  chiefs  had  driven  away  all  the  young 
men  from  the  bench  in  front  of  them.  Coming  in,  followed  by 
Lewanika,  I  made  them  sit  down  in  the  place  I  had  indicated, 
and  in  a  short  speech  I  quietly  explained  to  them  that  the 
House  of  God  is  not  their  IckJiotJila,  where  every  one  has  his 
assigned  place.  At  home,  a  chief  is  everything  :  at  court,  he  is 
only  a  servant.  In  the  same  way,  when  we  come  to  church,  wc 
leave  all  our  dignities  and  grandeurs  at  the  door :  here,  God 
alone  is  Master,  He  alone  is  great.  Then  I  preached  on 
Luke  xix.  14  :  "  We  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over  us." 
In  the  afternoon,  the  Gambella  sent  me  as  a  present  two  beautiful 
paddles.     Why  ?     There  was  no  message. 

I  think  I  have  discovered  the  clue  to  all  this  excitement. 
They  fear  that  the  king  will  become  a  Christian  ;  and  that  when 
he  has  dispersed  his  whole  harem,  he  will  abolish  polygam}',  and 
force  his  chiefs  and  every  one  else  to  content  themselves  each 
with  one  wife.^ 

I  have  had  a  bad  attack  of  haematuria  ;  for  more  than  a 
fortnight,  I  have  only  been  able  to  drag  myself  about ;  but  I  am 
better,  though  not  very  grand  yet.  I  do  not  want  to  complain  ; 
but  it  is  only  right  you  should  know  that  I  am  not  good  for 
much.  My  heart  is  still  young — I  feel  it  ;  but  the  old  tent  is 
wearing  out. 

I  hope  to  reopen  my  Bible  school  the  day  after  to-morrow, 
after  the  Christmas  holidays.  A  Bible  school  on  the  Zambesi  ! 
This  title  is  pretentious.  I  have  only  four  pupils,  whom  I 
clolhc  and  feed,  and  who  manage  my  domestic  work,  such  as  it 
is.  They  are  my  children,  as  well  as  my  pupils.  They  are 
housed  in  two  huts,  one  with  a  big  hole  and  a  little  hole,  which 
serve  as  door  and  window ;  it  is  the  schoolroom  ;  four  posts 
stuck  in  the  ground  and   a   couple  of   boards  form    the    table. 

'  And  so  it  was.  Old  Narubutu  and  the  Gambella  went  one  night  secretly 
to  see  the  king,  expostulated  with  him,  and,  getting  angry,  declared  that  they 
would  not  have  a  Ciiristian  for  king.  Lewanika  foresaw  a  revolution,  and 
forthwith  drew  back  from  conversion.     Anthor's  Note. 


580  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1S94 

The  other  hut  is  the  dormitory,  which  they  keep  fairly  clean. 
The  number  of  these  pupils  might  be  doubled  or  tripled ;  but,  for 
the  time  being,  I  keep  to  these  four.  The  scarcity  of  food  is  one 
reason  ;  another  is  that  the  character  of  our  young  Zambesians 
requires  to  be  tested,  and  their  vocation  no  less. 

Moreover,  it  is  only  a  trial — a  little  beginning  here.  My 
inclinations  certainly  do  not  lead  me  to  shut  myself  up  for 
three  or  four  hours  with  a  class  :  far  from  it.  I  should  like  to 
have  wings,  in  order  to  travel  about  the  country  and  publish 
the  Gospel — the  Good  News.  I  chafe  at  our  being  thus  penned 
up  at  home.  We  see  many  crowds  of  strangers  here,  and  we 
do  our  best  to  send  them  away  with  at  any  rate  some  spark  of 
truth.  But  preaching  to  them  here  is  not  reaching  them  at 
home.  I  have  been  forced  by  circumstances  thus  to  busy 
myself  with  these  young  men,  whom,  as  you  know,  I  was  reluc- 
tant to  send  to  Basuto-land.  It  is  certainly  not  that  I  have 
anything  against  the  Bible  school  at  Morija,  for  you  know  how 
I  love  it.  But  we  must  not  make  Basuto  of  our  Zambesians. 
We  need  a  Bible  school  Jiere. 

You  will  be  sorry  to  hear  that  my  predictions  about  Sefula 
have  been  only  too  fully  realised.  The  winds  which  precede 
the  rainy  season  have  been  extraordinarily  violent  this  year, 
and  they  have  broken  a  large  tree,  which  has  fallen  on  the  saw- 
mill, seriously  damaging  the  roof  and  almost  bringing  the  walls 
down.  It  is  very  sad  to  think  of  all  that  splendid  machinery 
left  there  to  get  ruined,  when  a  man  of  Waddcll's  stamp  could 
save  so  much  of  it,  and  be  such  a  help  to  us. 

Our  church  here  is  not  finished.  Will  it  ever  be  ?  We  have 
fifteen  large  holes  in  the  walls  instead  of  windows  and  doors. 
The  windows  we  have  covered  with  calico,  which  had  to  be 
renewed  more  than  once,  though  we  certainly  have  none  to 
spare.  But  no  calico,  however  strong,  could  withstand  these 
gales  ;  it  is  torn  to  shreds  like  paper ;  indeed,  the  whole  building 
is  a  perfect  Cave  of  the  Winds.  You  can  have  no  conception 
of  their  violence  ;  I  trembled  for  the  church  itself.  So  all 
those  windows  you  see  in  the  photograph,  and  several  others,  T 
had  perforce  to  fill  in  with  reeds.  I  only  left  just  enough  open 
for  us  to  have  light  inside  to  see  by. 

According  to  our  latest  news,  Waddell  was  still  at  Kazungula, 
eating  his  heart  out.     How  I  do  regret  that  he  did  not  return 


1894]  NKW   VKAR's   DAV  581 

with  me !  He  would  have  been  able  to  repair  the  waggon  a 
little,  and  by  this  time  we  should  both  of  us  have  been  well 
on  our  way  southwards.  For  myself,  a  medical  examination 
is  almost  as  necessary  as  for  him.^  But  how  travel  without 
a  vehicle  ? 

I  think  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  our  illnesses  here 
is  the  water  we  are  obliged  to  use.  The  first  rains  sweep,  or 
rather  wash,  down  the  country,  and  thus  the  lake  from  which 
we  draw  our  water  becomes  the  common  sewer.  Bad  at  all 
times,  it  does  not  keep  twelve  hours  then,  and  acquires  a  smell 
and  taste  which  make  one  feel  sick.  It  is  impossible  to  swallow 
the  morning  cup  of  coffee.  I  have  two  filters,  but  they  don't 
work  well,  either  of  them. 

While  scribbling  all  this,  here  I  find  myself  using  my  pen 
for  the  first  time  on  January  ist,  1895.  My  good  wishes  for  the 
New  Year  will  reach  you  late,  but  I  send  them  all  the  same. 
Ah,  those  good  wishes,  how  easy  they  are  to  utter,  and  how 
every  one  will  be  offering  them  in  all  parts  to-day  !  And  after 
a  few  days,  who  will  think  of  them  ?  That  is  not  the  case 
with  us.  Members  of  the  same  missionary  family,  knowing 
and  loving  one  another,  sharing  the  anxieties,  responsibilities, 
and  joys  of  the  same  work,  we  do  not  need  the  New  Year  to 
remind  us  of  each  other,  do  we  ?  Only,  the  year  is  gone,  and 
the  new  one  which  comes  to  us  with  all  its  store  of  blessings 
and  trials,  unknown  and  unthought  of,  sets  on  our  mutual 
intercessions  a  seal  of  special  solemnity.  What  should  we  ask  ? 
Do  we  know  ?  Let  us  simply  lay  our  friends,  our  beloved 
ones,  together  with  the  work  of  our  hearts  and  lives,  at  the 
Lord's  feet  ;  and  let  us  say  in  faith :  "  Lord,  they  are  Thine 
— bless  them  !  Yes,  bless  them  !  '  O  satisfy  us  early  [¥r.  Ver. 
cac/i  inoy7iing\  with  Thy  mercy  ;  that  we  may  rejoice  and  be 
glad  all  our  days.  Make  us  glad  according  to  the  days  tvherein 
Thou  hast  afflicted  7is.  .  .  Let  TJiy  work  appear  unto  Thy  servants, 
and  Thy  glory  unto  their  children.  And  let  the  beauty  of  the 
Lord  our  God  be  upon  us  ;  .  .  .  yea,  the  tvork  of  our  liands  estab- 
lish  Thou  it:" 

'  The  Committee  had  already  urged  M.  Coillard  some  time  before  to 
return  to  Europe  on  furlough;  but  he  dcchned,  fcehng  that  the  staff  was  too 
small,  and  tliat  his  young  colleagues  would  be  overwhelmed  with  tlie  work. 
Since  then,  reinforcements  had  come  out. 


CHAPTER   XXXVII 

The  Drought — Medical  Missions — M.  and  Mme.  Beguin  at  Nalolo — A 
Visit  to  Sefula — Locusts — The  Return  of  a  Prodigal  (Mokamba) — A 
Bible-woman~A  Real  Awakening — Average  Rainfall — Roj'al  Pretensions. 

Sefula,  April  ist,  1895. 

IF  I  fall  into  the  conventionalities  of  those  idle  people  in 
civilised  life  who  can  only  talk  about  the  weather,  so  much 
the  worse  for  my  correspondents  ;  but  it  is  a  fact  that  the  past 
season  has  been  an  extraordinary  one.  The  rains,  which  begin 
regularly  towards  November  20th,  were  two  months  late  ;  and, 
instead  of  the  heavy  downpours  which  flood  everything,  we 
have  had  suffocating  heat,  a  fiery  sun,  and  burning  winds  which 
swept  the  clouds  away  as  soon  as  they  formed  on  the  horizon. 
At  the  end  of  February,  by  which  date  the  plain  has  usually 
been  under  water  for  eight  weeks,  one  could  easily  cross  it 
on  foot.  Our  Barotsi  were  miserable ;  they  had  not  seen  such 
a  thing  for  twenty  years,  and  they  had  already  given  this 
phenomenal  year  the  name  of  "walk  on  foot,"  "  walk  dry-shod  " 
{oka  enda  bnnjc).  For,  to  them,  no  inundation  means  no  hunt- 
ing, no  furs  for  the  winter,  no  change  of  residence,  and  that 
does  not  suit  their  roving  disposition.  But  there  is  another 
side  to  it,  which  affects  us  all — namely,  illnesses,  such  as  influenza, 
ague,  and  above  all  fevers,  which  rage  as  much  among  the 
natives  as  among  the  Europeans,  and  spare  few. 

Consultations  without  appointment,  and  the  dispensing  of 
medicines,  are  by  no  means  recreations.  The  Monitis  post 
is  no  sinecure  at  such  a  time.  Not  a  day  passes  without  our 
regretting  the  absence  of  a  professional  doctor  amongst  us. 

Is  our  urgent  appeal  from  Kazungula  really  to  remain  with- 
out an  echo?  Has  no  man  of  that  profession  yet  felt  himself 
called  of  God  to  this  vocation,  the  grandest  that  exists?  To  go 
from  village  to  village,  doing  good,  healing  the  sick,  and  preach- 

582 


t^95]  MEDICAL   MISSIONS  583 

ing  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  after  the  example  of 
Jesus  Himself,  and  walking  in  His  footsteps  !  Is  there  upon 
earth,  I  wonder,  a  calling  more  worthy  of  a  young  Christian's 
holy  ambition  ? 

Oh,  if  I  could  but  grow  young  again,  how  ardently  I  would 
apply  myself  to  the  study  of  medicine !  And,  thus  furnished 
with  the  fullest  possible  equipment,  medical  and  theological, 
with  what  joy  I  would  go  forth  to  relieve  the  physical  and 
moral  miseries  of  these  poor  heathen  !  They  do  not  under- 
stand how  it  is  that  the  messengers  of  Jesus  "  who  healed  all 
manner  of  disease  "  cannot  cure  those  of  the  body  as  well  as 
those  of  the  soul.  A  cure  is  in  their  eyes  a  proof  of  our 
apostleship.     And  can  we  blame  them  ? 

Every  member  of  the  mission  party  has  had  fever,  and  here 
is  Mile.  Louise  Keck,  who,  in  despair  of  ever  acclimatising 
herself,  is  returning  South.  And  wc  had  hailed  her  arrival  with 
such  joy  and  hope ! 

Above  all,  our  poor  friends  the  Beguins  have  suffered.  The 
reports  we  heard  about  them  startled  us,  and  I  went  to  Nalolo 
to  see  them  a  few  weeks  ago.  They  were  then  comparatively 
.better,  and  thus  my  visit  resolved  itself  into  a  mere  friendly  call. 
I  found  them  in  a  wretched  hut,  dark  and  stuffy,  quite  blocked 
aip  with  their  boxes.  They  had  reserved  a  little  corner,  which 
tthey  used  as  a  bedroom,  and  another  still  smaller  one,  which 
ithey  .called  their  dining-hall,  though  you  have  almost  to  eat 
,off  your  tliumb  for  want  of  space  ;  there  is  even  a  third,  which 
Ahcy  dignify  by  the  name  of  drawing-room,  on  the  strength  of 
,two  chairs  which  arc  crowded  into  it.  I  felt  quite  grieved  for 
.them,  for  this  young  lady  especially,  so  recently  severed  from 
ithe  comforts  of  civilised  life.^  But  the  activity  of  our  young 
brother,  from  whom  energy  seems  to  issue  at  every  pore ;  the 
courage  and  unflagging  spirits  of  his  young  wife,  in  this  rude 

'  Mme.  Beguin  (the  only  daughter  of  a  professor  at  the  University 
of  Lausanne)  had  loft  a  luxurious  home  less  than  two  years  before.  Though 
she  was  a  mere  girl,  and  had  occupied  herself  with  nothing  but  music  and 
painting  since  leaving  school,  she  accommodated  herself  to  the  uncivilised 
life  without  the  sliglitest  difficulty  or  discontent.  Speaking  generally,  the 
testimony  of  the  Zambesi  missionaries  is  that  the  most  higl)ly  cultivated 
adapt  themselves  the  most  quickly  and  easily  to  the  new  conditions,  and  the 
women  better  tiian  the  men.  As  regards  liealtli,  that  of  the  former  has  been 
incomparably  better  than  that  of  the  latter. 


584  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

apprenticeship,  through  which  we  all  have  to  pass  ;  the  smiles  of 
their  flourishing  baby, — all  combined  to  form  a  happy  contrast, 
and  did  me  real  good.  Soon  these  dear  young  friends  will  install 
themselves  in  the  large  temporary  house  which  M.  Beguin  has 
already  reared.     It  will  be  a  palace  to  them. 

Their  work  is  still  in  those  difficult  first  stages^  when 
missionaries  and  natives  are  seeking  to  know  and  educate  each 
other.  Mokwae  and  her  councillors  never  lose  sight  of  their 
dignity  ;  and  they  are  nowise  modest  in  their  pretensions. 
They  take  it  very  ill,  when  one  seeks  to  bind  them  down  to 
anything  like  a  rule,  even  for  the  Sunday  services.  Neverthe- 
less, little  by  little  our  friends  are  establishing  their  position. 
Here,  too,  a  little  "  tabernacle "  has  been  erected,  which  can 
shelter  half  the  audience.  The  services  are  well  attended ;  and 
the  school,  under  the  devoted  care  of  Jacob  and  his  wife  Norea, 
is  flourishing  splendidly.  Here,  too,  they  speak  of  earnest 
souls  who  will  declare  themselves  some  day.  One  can  scarcely 
believe  that  this  station  has  been  founded  so  recently,  and  we 
praise  God  for  it. 

But  I  am  forgetting — it  was  about  Sefula  that  I  wanted  to 
speak.  For  some  time,  I  had  been  thinking  of  paying  a  visit 
there — a  visit  I  dreaded  as  much  as  I  desired  it.  Circumstances 
made  it  an  imperative  duty  to  do  so.  Besides  the  work,  which 
is  developing  admirably,  and  requires  our  superintendence,  our 
evangelist  Paulus  and  his  wife  are  always  ill,  especially  the 
latter.  The  dear  man  wrote  very  gloomily  ;  and  he  had  reason 
to.  He  was  thinking  about  his  death,  and  was  asking  his 
friends  what  his  young  widow  would  do.  Both  are  terribly 
emaciated,  though  the  serenity  of  their  inner  life  is  reflected  on 
their  wan  faces. 

I  therefore  left  Lealuyi  last  Tuesday  with  my  five  boys— my 
whole  household.  From  the  flooded  plain,  we  entered  our  own 
canal,  full  to  the  brim.  Alas !  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
from  the  station,  we  found  it  so  blocked  with  sand  and  tangled 
grass — those  invincible  viatindi — that  the  stream  overflows  on 
every  side,  forming  pools  and  marshes  into  which  one  sinks 
up  to  the  knees.  It  is  a  work  to  be  done  all  over  again  ;  but 
it  would  have  cost  very  little  to  keep  it  up,  if  there  had  been 
a  missionary  at  Sefula.  My  boys,  who  knew  I  was  not  well, 
seized   a  little  canoe   they  found    there,   and  cheerfully   carried 


*895l  LOCUSTS  585 

it  from  pool  to  pool,  determined  I  should  make  the  journey 
dry-shod  ;  and  at  last  landed  me  on  terra  firma.  I  did  the  rest 
of  the  road  on  foot. 

We  forced  our  way  through  clouds  of  locusts,  the  scourge 
of  the  country.  We  have  them  at  Lealuyi,  but  nothing  to 
compare  with  what  we  find  hereabouts.  They  have  hatched 
themselves,  and  grown  up  here  on  the  borders  of  the  plain, 
and  in  the  brushwood.  Their  wings  are  too  weak  for  them 
to  fly  high  and  far,  for  they  have  only  just  cast  their  skin  ; 
you  raise  swarms  of  them  at  every  step  you  take,  while  passing 
over  masses  which  remain  piled  up  on  the  ground.  They  have 
devoured  the  fields  of  maize,  manioc,  and  sorgho — they  spare 
absolutely  nothing.  The  people  are  making  desperate  efforts 
to  dispute  with  them  anything  edible  that  remains.  When 
they  fly,  the  shrill  and  incessant  cries  of  men  and  women, 
accompanied  by  violent  gestures,  make  them  rise,  and  the  wind 
carries  them  off ;  but  when  they  are  in  the  first  stage,  that 
of  a  wingless  cricket,  they  go  straight  on,  and  nothing  stops 
them  :  they  cross  water  by  swimming,  and  we  are  told  that 
their  serried  battalions  even  extinguish  the  grass  fires,  by 
which  the  fields  are  surrounded.  Every  one  is  fearing  famine, 
and  already  provisions  are  scarce  and  dear.  Yet  we  are  told 
this  is  only  the  beginning.  But  a  very  curious  thing  is  the 
mortality  among  the  locusts.  They  are  found  everywhere  in 
great  numbers  on  the  ground,  heaped  together,  clinging  to 
shrubs  and  blades  of  grass  ;  you  think  they  are  alive — you  look 
closely  at  them,  and  they  are  all  dried  up.  And,  from  what 
I  hear,  it  is  the  .same  in  the  provinces  of  Sesheke  and  Kazungula. 
Some  unknown  nyaka  (witch-doctor)  will  not  lose  the  oppor- 
tunity of  claiming  it  as  the  result  of  his  "  medicines "  and 
cabalistic  incantations.  Intelligent  men  say  that  they  are 
poisoned  by  eating  certain  noxious  plants.  It  is  possible  ;  but 
we  believe  that  God  has  heard  the  prayers  of  His  children, 
and  has  had  compassion  on  this  people. 

In  spite  of  the  desolate  aspect  of  the  station,  and  the 
recollections  which  every  corner  and  every  object  call  up,  one 
breathes  here  an  atmosphere  of  calm  which  is  unknown  at  the 
capital.  It  is  good  to  be  here  again  under  the  shade,  to 
meditate  in  the  solemn  silences  of  these  woods.  And  there,  at 
a  stone's  throw,  under  that  ancient  tree,  how  near  one  feels  to 


586  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

heaven !  Involuntarily  my  thoughts  go  out  to  those  many 
friends  who  are  also  in  bereavement.  Siirsum  corda.  It  is 
not  at  the  place  of  parting  that  we  should  halt ;  no,  nor  yet 
at  that  turn  of  the  road  where  we  bade  those  supreme 
farewells  that  wrung  our  hearts  and  darkened  our  lives.  Our 
beloved  ones  are  no  longer  there.  It  is  to  the  place  and  the 
hour  of  reunion  that  our  hopes  and  desires  look  on — to  the 
Father's  house,  where  our  beloved  ones  have  gone  before  us, 
where  Jesus  awaits  us,  whither  each  footstep  bears  us  on,  and 
where  God  Himself  will  wipe  away  all  tears  from  our  eyes. 
God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living.  Let  us  seek 
Him  not  among  the  dead,  but  amid  that  cloud  of  witnesses 
who  compass  us  about. 

But,  among  the  ruins  of  Sefula,  I  would  like  to  gather  you 
one  or  two  flowers  at  least. 

The  movement  of  which  you  have  heard  already,  and  which 
arose  simultaneously  in  all  our  stations,  though  perhaps  in  a  less 
degree  than  at  Kazungula,  where  it  began,  was  very  marked  at 
Sefula.  The  number  of  those  who  have  made  a  profession  is 
already  over  eighty.  No  doubt  all  that  is  not  pure  gold,  but 
some  of  it  certainly  is.  The  numerous  meetings  we  have  had 
during  the  last  eight  or  ten  days  have  thoroughly  convinced 
me  of  it.  Besides  my  own  young  men,  who  took  an  active 
part  in  it,  two  Christians  from  Lealuyi  had  followed  me.  One 
was  Semonja,  or  Sebeho — the  Barotsi  always  have  several 
names — a  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  who  is  under  the  king's 
orders  always  to  accompany  me  on  my  journeys.  He  says 
himself  that  a  long  while  ago,  under  the  influence  of  the  Gospel 
teaching,  he  sent  away  two  of  his  three  wives,  before  having 
made  the  least  profession.  I  knew  nothing  of  it,  and  indeed 
thought  he  had  only  been  married  once.  But  besides  his. 
remarkable  evenness  of  temper,  his  consideratcness,  and  his 
thoughtful  and  respectful  conduct,  there  was  an  indefinable 
something  about  him  which  won  my  heart,  and  imparted  to  my 
journeys  a  charm  of  which  I  have  never  spoken.  And  when 
his  heart  was  touched  by  grace,  I  felt  more  joy  than  surprise. 
There  has  been  no  stumbling  in  his  case.  On  one  occasion,^  he 
troubled  us  by  his  lack  of  courage,  but  he  repented  of  that. 

'  See  page  578, 


1895]  mokamba's  address  587 

The  other  is  Mokamba,  the  same  young  man  who  wept  over 
his  sins,  during  the  last  meeting  my  dear  wife  attended,  and 
impressed  her  so  deeply.  Since  then,  he  had  wandered  from 
the  right  way.  Having  become  a  great  chief,  young  as  he  was 
he  took  several  wives  to  maintain  his  dignity,  and  later  on 
he  became  the  king's  son-in-law,  instead  of  our  poor  Nguana- 
Ngombe.  But  his  conscience  gave  him  no  rest,  and  during  a 
long  journey  he  made,  it  awoke  irresistibly.  On  his  return,  he 
found  his  first  wife  converted,  and  then  he  hesitated  no  longer. 
He  had  already  sent  away  his  inferior  wives  ;  he  dismissed  one 
last  one  to  whom  he  had  clung,  and  declared  himself  frankly 
for  the  Saviour  whom  he  had  forsaken.  He  unites  unusual 
gentleness  with  great  force  of  character.  The  presence  of  these 
two  Christian  chiefs  has  made  a  deep  impression  here. 

Yesterday,  apart  from  the  prayer  meeting  with  which  it 
began  and  ended,  was  divided  between  two  great  meetings, 
each  lasting  about  three  hours.  The  first  was  a  general  meeting. 
The  heathen,  in  spite  of  the  locusts,  against  whom  the  poor 
things  were  desperately  defending  their  fields,  came  hurrying 
in  from  every  side.  The  church  was  full.  After  I  had  intro- 
duced the  subject  of  Lot  fleeing  from  Sodom,  I  left  my  young 
men  and  these  two  Christian  chiefs  to  speak.  A  tone  of  great 
respect  and  seriousness  characterised  the  addresses  of  my  boys, 
and  they  enforced  attention. 

Semonja,  a  typical  Morotsi,  spoke  with  conviction,  calmness, 
and  authority.  I  was  surprised  to  see  how  he  captivated 
the  audience  by  his  address — a  long  one  for  a  Morotsi.  But 
Mokamba  did  not  merely  captivate  them  ;  he  carried  them 
along  with  him.  "They  ask  me,"  he  said,  "why  I  have 
abandoned  these  mckJwa  ea  lefeela''  (these  vain  customs) 
"we  have  learnt  from  our  fathers.  It  is  because  Christ  has 
delivered  us  from  them  at  the  cost  of  His  Blood.  They  ask 
me  why,  four  years  ago,  I  wept  and  sobbed  in  that  great 
assembly  at  the  IckhotJda.  Why?  Ah!  it  was  because  the 
destruction  of  Sodom  was  not  a  mere  threat  to  me.  My  own 
house  was  on  fire.  And  when  I  awoke  from  my  sleep  of  death, 
it  was  not  by  the  door  that  I  flung  myself  out.  No,  1  forced 
a  hole  through  the  wall,  I  know  not  how,  at  the  risk  of  being 
scratched  by  the  broken  reeds.  But  once  I  was  outside,  prostrate 
on  the  earth,  and  stripped  of  everything,  realising  the  danger  I 


5^8  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

had  been  in,  I  began  to  tremble,  to  weep  with  joy  and  emotion. 
I  was  saved.  You  tell  me  that  I  shall  return  to  the  world.  Yes, 
if  I  forsake  Jesus.  But  do  you  know,  at  one  time  the  current 
had  already  carried  me  away  ?  I  should  have  been  swept  into 
the  abyss,  and  have  perished"  (an  allusion  to  the  Musi  oaTunya, 
the  Victoria  Falls).  "Jesus  came  with  His  canoe  ;  He  seized  me 
and  placed  me  on  the  bank.  And  shall  I  throw  myself  into 
the  waves  again  ?  God  forbid ! "  Urgent  appeals  followed, 
something  quite  new  to  me  at  the  Zambesi. 

The  second  meeting  was  still  more  characteristic.  It  was 
exclusively  a  meeting  for  professing  Christians,  who,  as  at 
Lealuyi,  are  divided  into  three  classes,  according  to  their  age, 
their  degree  of  knowledge,  and  the  satisfaction  they  give  us. 
All  were  not  present,  yet  there  were  nearly  seventy,  amongst 
whom  were  ten  children,  a  few  young  girls  and  youths,  men 
and  women,  former  workmen,  our  old  acquaintances,  who  were 
once  so  hardened  and  insensible. 

After  a  few  words  of  introduction,  I  allowed  any  one  to 
speak  who  chose.  Men  and  women  availed  themselves  of  the 
permission,  and  with  surprising  liberty. 

One  woman,  a  true  Bible-woman,  for  she  knows  how  to 
read,  related  her  evangelising  tours. 

"  Come,  come,"  said  some  heathen  to  her,  "  what  you  are 
telling  us  is  all  nonsense.  You  who  say  you  believe,  have  you 
ever  seen  the  God  that  the  white  men  speak  of?  You  pray: 
does  your  bread  fall  out  of  the  sky?" 

"  No  one  has  ever  seen  God,"  she  replied,  "  but  He  has  made 
Himself  known  to  us  by  His  Son  Jesus.  And  is  it  not  really 
from  the  sky  that  we  get  our  bread  ?  Whence  comes  the  dew  ? 
Whence  the  rain  that  makes  our  corn  grow  ?  And  where,  1 
ask  you,  shines  the  sun  which  makes  it  ripen  ?  "  Then,  fixing 
her  eyes  on  Mokamba,  she  addressed  herself  to  him,  and  asked 
for  an  account  of  his  return  to  the  world.  "  Your  fall  made 
us  the  laughing-stock  of  the  heathen.  How  are  we  to  know 
that  you  are  sincere  now  ?  " 

"  My  mother,"  answered  Mokamba  humbly,  "  I  thank  you 
for  the  question  you  have  put  to  me.  Ah !  I  know  that  it  is 
not  by  anything  I  may  say  to-day  that  you  will  be  convinced  : 
it  can  only  be  by  life  in  the  future.  It  is  only  by  its  fruits  that 
the  tree  is  known.     That  is  all   I   can   say.     But  God  is   my 


'S9S]  A   BIRLE-WOMAN  589 

witness  that  I  am  true.  Here  is  the  sad  story  of  my  return 
to  the  world  :  it  will  be  a  lesson  to  everybody.  When  you  saw 
me  weeping  in  the  midst  of  the  lek/iothla,  1  was  sincere.  The 
sword  of  the  Word  of  God  had  pierced  through  me  ;  and  after- 
wards, I  had  found  peace.  It  was  a  joy  to  me  to  go  with  Litia 
to  the  meetings  at  Sefula.  But  when  I  was  promoted  to  the 
dignity  of  Liomba  "  (the  third  chief  of  the  country),  "  I  allowed 
my.self  little  by  little  to  grow  absorbed  in  business.  I  soon 
found  it  irksome  to  go  to  Sefula  every  week  :  it  was  too  far.  I 
let  myself  go.  Our  father  said  to  me  indeed,  '  Mokamba,  take 
care  ;  you  are  backsliding.'  I  tried  to  reassure  him,  and  to 
make  a  fresh  effort,  but  I  ended  by  getting  quite  tired  of  the 
whole  thing.  And  when  our  father  came  to  install  himself  at 
Lealuyi,  I  had  fallen,  and  I  had  nothing  but  the  skin  of  a 
Christian.  He  said  to  me,  '  Mokamba,  go  on  reading  the  Bible 
every  day,  just  the  same.'  That  is  what  saved  me.  Every  day 
I  read  my  Bible.  But  I  could  not  read  it  long  without  its 
condemning  me.  And  then  I  shut  it  sorrowfully.  The 
preachings,  too,  condemned  me,  and  I  dared  not  look  the 
servant  of  God  in  the  face.  I  was  unhappy.  But  in  the  midst 
of  my  wanderings,  I  prayed  constantly.  God  had  pity  on  me, 
and  now  I  am  happy.  Let  my  history  be  a  warning  to  you, 
believers." 

Many  fine  things  were  said  in  this  meeting,  where  everybody 
spoke  freely  :  the  principal  theme  being  Lofs  wife.  A  poor 
woman  told  us  that  she  came  from  the  farthest  part  of  the 
Valley  of  Sefula.  On  the  way,  she  found  people  working  in 
their  fields.  She  accosted  them,  and  invited  them  to  come  and 
hear  the  Word  of  God.  They  answered  contemptuously,  "  It 
is  no  longer  the  Baruti,  it  seems,  who  come  to  remind  us  of 
the  Lord's  Day;  it  is  these  chits  of  women.  Be  off!  Go  and 
pretend  to  be  a  believer,  if  you  imagine  the  missionaries  will 
give  you  beads  and  stuff." 

"  Oh,  my  masters,"  answered  the  poor  thing,  "  I  am  only  a 
slave  :  I  am  nothing,  but  I  feel  the  need  of  learning  the  things 
of  God.  Oh  no  !  it  is  not  stuffs  I  am  seeking.  What  should 
I  do  with  them  ?  I  have  never  worn  anything  but  this  apron 
of  skin.  But  I  am  a  great  sinner,  and  what  I  am  seeking  is 
the  pardon  of  my  sins." 

The  sun  set :  whether  we  would  or  no,  we  were  obliged  to 


590  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

close  this  beautiful  meeting,  in  which  my  faith  was  strengthened 
and  my  soul  was  blessed. 

I  have  already  written  about  this  awakening.  Perhaps  you 
thought  me  too  wise  and  prudent.  I  dreaded  excitement ;  I 
was  afraid  that  this  movement,  favoured  by  the  friendly  dis- 
position of  the  king  and  chiefs,  would  be  superficial,  and  that 
our  European  friends,  anxious,  like  ourselves,  to  see  God's  work 
prospering  at  last,  might  give  it  proportions  which  here  it  does 
not  possess.  I  repeat,  that  what  we  wish  above  all  is  to  build 
upon  the  One  Foundation  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones,  not 
wood,  hay,  and  stubble.  It  would  have  been  a  sin  to  deny 
the  work  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  in  thus  beginning  to  awaken 
consciences.  At  Kazungula,  and  even  at  Sesheke,  where  the 
circumstances  are  very  different  from  ours,  I  believe  the  move- 
ment has  more  reality  than  here,  according  to  the  accounts  of 
our  brother  Louis  Jalla ;  and  my  estimates  apply  chiefly  to 
what  passes  under  my  own  eyes.  In  any  case,  the  Lord  has 
visited  us.  It  is  in  the  consciences  that  work  is  being  silently 
accomplished — we  feel  it ;  one  day,  it  will  burst  forth.  The 
Lord  will  still  do  great  things. 

Here  is  one  very  encouraging  fact  for  us.  You  remember 
our  beautiful  school  at  Sefula  in  former  days,  which  has  been 
scattered  throughout  the  country,  even  as  far  as  Kazungula. 
How  many  times  I  have  thought  of  the  time  and  strength 
we  sacrificed  to  it !  Well,  at  the  present  moment,  nearly  forty 
of  our  former  pupils  have  to  my  knowledge  made  a  profession 
of  faith,  and  all,  with  few  exceptions,  know  how  to  read.  Our 
teachings,  all  those  books  which  were  bought  with  such  enthu- 
siasm, and  then  remained  as  if  buried  in  the  earth — nothing  has 
been  lost.  "  He  that  observeth  the  wind  shall  not  sow :  and 
he  that  regardeth  the  clouds  shall  not  reap." 

Lealuyi,  April  2()ih,  1895. 

In  Africa,  everything  is  surprise  and  caprice  ;  one  day  a 
famine,  the  next  abundance,  even  superabundance.  Drought 
distresses  us  ;  and  then  again,  it  never  rains  but  it  pours.  The 
post  is  the  toy  of  the  same  caprice.  More  than  once,  we  have 
been  nine  long  months  without  receiving  a  single  letter.  We 
are   only  at  the    end  of   April,  and  we  have  already  had  four 


1895]  ANNUAL   RAINFALL  59I 

posts  from  Europe,  dated  from  the  first  fortnight  in   January. 
Will  it  last  ? 

Besides  the  vagaries  of  the  post,  there  arc  those  of  the 
weather.  The  rains— those  rains  so  ardently  desired — have  at 
last  fallen,  at  long  intervals,  and  in  thunderstorms,  modifying 
our  burning  atmosphere,  but  very  slightly.  On  the  whole, 
this  season,  which  people  were  already  anathematising,  has 
reached  the  minimum  of  rainy  seasons.  Perhaps  a  comparative 
table  of  these  would  interest  you.     Here  it  is  : — 


Inches. 

1885-86 

Nov.  25  to  March  4 

...      28-46. 

1886-87 

Travelling. 

1887-88 

Nov.  21  to  March  7 

...      3512. 

I8S8-89 

Nov.  14  to  May  12 

...      2858. 

1889-90 

Nov.    7  to  May    7 

...      36-92. 

1890-91 

Nov.  20  to  April  5 

...     42-95- 

1891-92 

Oct.    16  to  April  24 

••.     33-35- 

1892-93 

1893-94 

Nov.  20  to  April  6 

...     35-98. 

1894-95 

Nov.  24  to  April  29 

...     28-88, 

This  gives  for  the  above  years  an  average  of  3378  inches. 
The  annual  flood  does  not  depend  solely  upon  the  rainfall  we 
have  here,  but  also  upon  that  of  the  Upper  Zambesi  basin. 
We  have  had  an  inundation,  tardy  and  slight,  but  still  we  have 
had  one. 

Lewanika  has  had  two  great  hunting  expeditions,  and  is 
preparing  a  third.  Unfortunately,  he  reserved  for  himself 
exclusively  the  pleasure  of  piercing  with  his  own  hand  the 
antelopes  which  crowds  of  men,  in  tiny  canoes,  or  up  to  their 
chests  in  water,  had  chased  and  then  surrounded  on  the  anthill 
where  the  king  awaited  them.  Alas  !  alas !  the  pretensions 
of  royalty  multiply  in  an  alarming  manner  ;  ceremonials  are 
becoming  more  and  more  complicated,  and  if  it  goes  on  much 
longer,  there  will  soon  be  no  place  under  the  sun  for  subjects 
and  slaves.  The  progress  in  civilisation  is  entirely  for  the 
king  and  his  family — nothing  for  the  people.  Lately,  they  were 
three  days  discussing  at  the  IckJiothla  the  question  of  stools 
and  certain  ornaments  of  ivory  and  beads  which  the  people 
had  taken  the  liberty  of  making  since  the  death  of  Sepopa, 
si.xteen  or  seventeen  years  ago.  Lewanika  confi^•cated  and 
forbade  them,  as  being   the    exclusive    appanage  of   the    royal 


592  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1895 

family.  This  is  certainly  not  the  path  of  humility  and  con- 
version. It  is  not  even  that  of  good  policy.  And  I  thought 
it  my  duty,  in  a  tcte-a-tete  with  my  poor  friend,  to  show  him 
the  danoer  and  folly  of  such  blindness.  He  pleaded  that  in 
ancient  times  it  was  the  distinctive  and  exclusive  privilege  of 
kino-s  :  why  should  it  disappear  to-day?  I  asked  him  if  he 
himself  were  a  king  of  ancient  times,  he  who  dressed  like  a 
European,  built  himself  a  European  house,  drank  coffee,  tea,  etc. 

"  These  old  customs  are  miserable  ruins  which  the  poor 
have  taken  possession  of,  as  they  have  of  certain  old  palaces 
in  Europe.  Why  dispute  them  when  you  have  better  things  ?  " 
Did  I  convince  him  ?  He  said  so,  but  I  have  not  yet  perceived 
it.  This  is  a  mournful  page.  I  pity  Lcwanika  very  much  ; 
they  make  a  deity  of  him,  and  that  by  his  own  choice.  How, 
in  the  midst  of  such  servile  adulation,  can  he  still  believe 
himself  an  ordinary  mortal,  and  feel  himself  a  poor  sinner 
before  God  ? 

Lewanika  treated  us  gentlemen  to  the  honour  of  a  beautiful 
excursion  in  Nalikiianda.  He  took  us  from  the  other  side 
of  the  Valley  to  Thapa,  where  Mpololo  lived,  the  last  chief 
of  the  Makololo,  not  far  from  Kama,  where  the  celebrated 
Sepopa  at  first  established  his  residence.  We  were  surprised 
at  the  congeries  of  villages.  It  is,  like  Sefula,  a  centre  of 
population,  and  the  king  assures  us  that  it  is  the  same  all 
round  the  Valley.  We  ought  to  found  some  stations  with 
numerous  outposts.     But — where  are  the  men? 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII 

A  Missionary  Exploration — Liomba  (Mokaraba's)  Escort — Katuramoa — The 
Oracle — A  Sturdy  Protest — Libonda — Memories  of  Livingstone — A 
Little  Missionary — Lepakae — The  King's  Messengers— Hornless  Cattle 
— The  Mamboe  Tribe — A  "  Son  of  Thunder " — The  King's  Canal- 
Confluence  of  the  Kabombo— Bread  upon  the  Waters — Customs  of  the 
Balunda  and  Balubale — Siyonda — The  Chief  Sinde — His  Hospitality — 
A  Halt  at  Mosoandunga's — The  Rapids  of  Sapunia — Short  Commons — An 
Inhospitable  Neighbourhood — Kakenge's — A  Rude  Reception — Famine 
— A  Trial  of  Faith — A  Wonderful  Deliverance — Tragi-comedy^Con- 
version  of  Boatmen — Return  to  Lealuyi. 

June  1895. 

I  HAD  long  cherished  a  desire  to  visit  Katuramoa  and 
Libonda.  Alone  at  a  station,  caught  in  the  toils  of  daily 
duty,  always  taken  up  with  the  most  pressing  one,  I  had  so  far 
found  it  impossible  to  carry  out  this  wish.  But  now  that  the 
Adolphe  Jallas  are  here,  I  am  a  little  less  tied.  The  rains  are 
over  ;  winter  will  not  be  here  for  some  time  ;  the  plain,  though 
drying  up,  will  still  bear  canoes  :  so  this  seems  a  favourable 
moment.  Once  at  Libonda,  why  should  I  not  go  on  to 
"regions  beyond"?  I  communicated  my  project  to  Lcwanika, 
who  scolded  me  in  friendly  fashion  for  not  having  done  it  before  ; 
but  this  did  not  prevent  his  doing  all  he  possibly  could  to 
facilitate  my  journey.  He  insisted,  first  of  all,  on  my  taking 
three  canoes  instead  of  two  ;  and  I  must  acknowledge  that,  for 
all  my  belongings,  our  provisions,  my  boys'  little  bundles,  and 
their  mats,  there  was  not  one  too  many.  Mine  having  been 
destroyed  by  the  breaking  down  of  a  bank,  the  king  procured 
me  another  for  my  personal  use.  But  this  canoe  deceived  us 
by  its  fine  proportions.  Badly  shaped,  badly  ballasted,  it  would 
only  move  lying  over  on  its  side,  so  that  the  paddlers  had  great 
difficulty  in  preserving  their  equilibrium,  and  I,  feeling  the  force 
of  every  wave,  rocked  to  sleep  in  the  full  blaze  of  the  sun,  several 


594  ON   THE  THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

times  narrowly  missed  rolling  overboard.     The  rowers  were  only 
found  with  difficulty,  as  is  always  the  case  at  this  season. 

Liomba  (Mokamba)  and  my  good  Semonja  contended  for 
the  charge  of  my  little  expedition.  Liomba  prevailed,  and 
obtained  the  king's  permission  without  difficulty.  But  I  soon 
saw  that  this  little  expedition  would  become  a  rolling  snowball 
Liomba,  being  the  king's  son-in-law,  must  have  at  least  two 
canoes  ;  his  friend  Taii-ira  (the  lion  roars),  who  never  leaves  him, 
has  his  own  too ;  then  two  of  our  scholars  of  the  blood  royal 
were  burning  to  accompany  me,  and  the  king  can  never  refuse 
them  anything.  Then,  at  Lewanika's  order,  Liomba  will  take 
up  three  guides  on  the  way,  each  of  course  with  his  dug-out  and 
his  little  retinue.  So  that,  instead  of  two  or  three  canoes,  here 
is  a  flotilla  of  ten,  and  forty  men  !  It  almost  alarms  me :  it  is 
not  at  all  what  I  want  I  shall  not  have  to  pay  all  these  people, 
it  is  true  ;  but  I  shall  have  to  feed  them.  It  is  a  comfort  to  me 
that  among  them  we  have  a  little  band  of  ten  who  profess  to 
be  converted.  They  can  all  read  and  sing — two  elements  which, 
with  God's  help,  I  hope  to  turn  to  account. 

Lewanika  had  profited  by  our  delays  to  send  messengers  to 
certain  chiefs  of  the  Balunda  and  Balubale,  to  announce  my  visit. 
He  came  himself  to  preside  at  our  parting  with  the  Jallas  ;  and 
after  committing  each  other  to  God,  we  left.  It  was  at  midday 
on  May  6th.  Lewanika  soon  perceived  the  defects  of  my  canoe  ; 
and  before  we  had  gone  a  mile,  he  asked  me  to  return  and 
change  it ;  but  once  gone,  I  was  gone. 

The  plain  at  this  season  is  a  floating  prairie,  enamelled  with 
flowers  ;  rosetted  water-lilies,  with  their  delicate  tints  of  blue, 
pink,  and  white  ;  and  a  kind  of  convolvulus,  which  proudly  erects 
her  great  magenta  trumpets,  only  dipping  them  reluctantly  as 
our  canoes  go  by.  But  it  is  also  diversified  by  tall  grass  and 
reeds,  through  which  we  have  to  force  our  way.  If  we  catch 
sight  of  a  canoe  in  the  distance,  we  hail  it  eagerly.  Here  and 
there  are  villages,  or  rather  hamlets,  thinly  scattered,  and  almost 
lost  in  the  expanse.  We  do  not  pass  one  of  them  by  :  we  take 
time  to  have  a  little  talk  with  the  people,  who  are  glad  to 
sec  us  ;  and  to  sing  a  hymn  to  them. 

The  first  evening  we  reached  Katuramoa.  It  is  a  wretched 
straggling  village,  the  huts  congregated  on  two  parallel  slopes 
of  sand    separated   by  a  marsh  which   is    drying    up.     But,  as 


•S95j  SHRINE   OF   KATURAMOA  595 

you  know,  it  is  one  of  the  sacred  spots  of  the  country, 
and  one  of  the  principal  shrines  to  which  the  Barotsi  make 
pilgrimages.  The  very  soil  must  be  trodden  with  veneration, 
and  strangers  there  may  not  speak  above  their  breath. 

Katuramoa  was  formerly  the  capital  of  Mboho,  the  first 
king  of  the  Barotsi  ;  but  being  situated  on  the  river-bank,  it 
was  ruined  and  carried  away  by  the  stream.  It  disappeared 
long  ago.  He  himself  is  not  buried  on  the  spot  where  his 
tomb  is  shown.  The  legend  relates  that  the  real  grave,  the 
site  of  which  is  no  longer  known,  was  found  one  day  open 
and  empty.  The  divining  bones  certified,  without  any  contra- 
diction, that  Mboho,  when  in  the  other  world,  took  it  into  his 
head  to  move  elsewhere  ;  they  indicated  the  spot  he  had  chosen 
and  since  then,  it  is  thither  that  people  resort  to  consult  the 
manes,  close  to  a  village  which  has  inherited  the  name  of  the 
ancient  capital. 

Mboho  enjoys  great  authority  in  the  country.  He  presides 
at  all  the  national  councils,  and  at  the  foundation  of  each  new 
capital.  Nothing  is  done  without  him.  It  is  to  him  that  the 
Nalikiianda  owes  its  first  visit  every  year.  Hence,  when,  this 
year,  Lewanika,  instead  of  conforming  to  the  established  usage, 
invited  the  missionaries  to  make  an  excursion  with  him  in  the 
royal  boat  in  a  different  direction,^  it  was  in  his  mind  and 
in  the  eyes  of  the  people  a  significant  sign  of  the  times,  an 
indication  that  the  old  national  customs  were  falling  one  by 
one  into  desuetude,  to  give  rights  of  citizenship  to  Christianity. 

Had  it  been  necessary,  I  could  have  convinced  myself  of 
this  by  questioning  the  guardians  of  this  tomb  :  "  You  profess 
to  interpret  the  oracles  issuing  from  the  tomb.  Explain  to  me 
how  you  hear  them." 

"We  hear  nothing,"  they  said,  with  apparent  frankness;  "but 
it  is  our  duty  to  make  the  national  traditions  and  customs 
respected,  and  submit  to  the  desires  of  the  national  chief" 

Liomba  (Mokamba)  went  a  great  deal  further  in  a  speech 
he  addressed  to  them.  With  a  boldness  that  astonished  me, 
he  said,  "  And  you  think  I  am  still  going  to  pray  at  Mboho's 
tomb?  Why  did  you  not  run  after  me,  the  Liomba,  to 
seize  me  the  moment  I  set  my  foot  on  the  ground?     It  was 

*  Sec  end  of  last  cliapter. 


596  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

because,  to  us,  to  the  one  who  addresses  you,  these  customs 
are,  as  you  very  well  know,  the  ruins  of  an  old  deserted 
village,  and  nothing  more.  What  !  you  of  the  common 
people  throw  your  dead  into  the  fields,  you  hide  your  graves, 
and  say  that  to  approach  them  is  to  attract  the  greatest  of 
misfortunes  ;  and  then,  your  kings,  who  are  men  like  any 
others,  you  bury  in  the  middle  of  a  village  !  Of  those  who 
prayed  to  other  gods,  you  make  gods  in  their  turn,  whether 
they  have  been  good  or  bad  !  Well,  know  henceforth  that 
these  were  men  like  any  others,  like  you,  like  me.  They  are 
dead  ;  their  bodies  are  decayed,  eaten  by  worms,  like  those  of 
their  slaves  ;  but  their  souls  are  gone  to  their  Creator  and  their 
Judge." 

It  was  at  a  meeting  in  the  evening  that  he  spoke  like  this — 
one  to  which  our  hymns  had  attracted  a  hundred  and  fifty  or 
a  hundred  and  sixty  persons. 

The  next  day,  after  a  journey  of  three  hours  across  country^ 
we  arrived  at  Libonda.  This  village  has  its  traditions  like 
Katuramoa ;  for  it  was  founded  by  the  daughter  of  Mboho, 
Boanjikana,  who  bore  the  title  of  queen,  KJiosi  ea  Mosali. 

The  king  is  expected  in  these  parts  for  one  of  his  great 
hunts.  As  soon  as  our  canoes  and  my  white  umbrella  were 
seen  in  the  distance,  the  villagers  thought  it  was  he,  and  at 
once  began  to  shout  the  royal  salutation  with  all  the  force  of 
their  lungs,  while  our  men  screamed  themselves  hoarse  in  their 
efforts  to  undeceive  them.  So  we  had  to  submit  to  this  desecra- 
tion of  royal  honours,  and  had  a  good  laugh  afterwards  at  the 
expense  of  these  poor  people  and  their  mystification.  However, 
they  could  not  help  laughing  just  as  much  themselves.  Katoka, 
the  king's  sister,  is  chieftainess  of  Libonda.  She  does  not  live 
there,  and  only  goes  there  very  seldom  ;  nevertheless,  she  has 
an  establishment  there  worthy  of  herself,  and  well  kept  up. 
When  we  had  installed  ourselves  in  her  vast  court,  we  visited 
the  village  from  house  to  house,  as  at  Katuramoa.  We  arrived 
thus  at  the  house  of  a  venerable  man,  nearly  blind,  who  talked 
to  us  about  the  good  old  times.  He  had  known  Livingstone,  and 
pointed  out  the  spot  where  he  had  camped,  which  still  retains 
his  name.  When  we  spoke  to  him  of  the  Saviour,  he  listened 
attentively,  grew  pensive,  and  then  said,  "  It  is  just  what  Nyaka^ 

'  The  Doctor. 


i895]  A   LITTLE   MISSIONARY  597 

said  to  the  Makololo ;  but  the  chiefs  would  not  hear  of  it. 
And  now,  where  are  tJicy  ? " 

Most  of  the  men  were  out  and  away,  performing  various 
forced  labours.  This  did  not  prevent  our  having  a  fine  meeting 
in  the  evening,  chiefly  of  women  and  children.  I  remarked 
with  astonishment  the  spirit  with  which  they  sang  the  very 
hymn  I  had  intended  teaching  them,  "  BoncDig,  sona,  o  fiJiile " 
(adapted  from  the  English  "  The  great  Physician  now  is  here  "). 
"  But  you  know  it  already  !  Who  taught  it  to  you  ?  " 
"  It  was  Bangucta,"  cried  several  voices  at  once  ;  "  and  we 
know  others  too." 

This  Bangueta  is  a  child  of  about  thirteen,  whose  father  had 
brought  him  to  school  at  Lealuyi.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
to  declare  himself  for  the  Lord,  but  not  one  of  those  who 
inspired  us  with  most  confidence.  During  the  holidays,  he 
fell  ill  at  his  parents'  house  ;  he  obstinately  refused  to  let  them 
pray  to  the  gods  or  practise  heathen  rites  for  his  recovery. 
"  Send  for  the  missionary's  medicine,  pray  to  the  God  Who  is 
the  only  living  and  true  one,  and  I  shall  get  well."  And,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  he  did  recover.  I  had  the  details  from  his 
father.  This  dear  child  has  succeeded  in  teaching  some  hymns 
to  the  women  and  young  people  of  Libonda,  and  this  was  one 
of  them.     How  heartily  the  refrain  was  taken  up  !— 

Sweetest  Name  on  mortal  tongue, 
Sweetest  carol  ever  sung : 
Jesus!  blessed  Jesus! 

How  sweet  it  will  be  to  sing  that  Name  above  in  the  home 
of  holiness  and  glory,  when  wc  shall  see  His  glorified  Person, 
and  understand  the  length  and  breadth  and  depth  and  height — 
yes,  all  the  immensity  of  His  love  ! 

Several  of  my  young  men  spoke  earnestly,  but  with  tact. 
The  next  day  at  six  o'clock,  all  hastened  together  again  to 
hear  us  singing,  in  spite  of  the  cold.  Libonda  is  surrounded  by 
villages  ;  it  is  a  centre  almost  made  for  our  sixth  station — when 
we  get  the  man. 

On  Wednesday,  May  9th,  we  set  out  for  Lepakae.  The 
journey  was  a  laborious  one,  the  canoes  having  to  force  their 
way  through  tall  grass.  We  passed  several  little  villages,  each 
of  which  has    its  story  ;    for   this  is   the  cradle  of  the    nation. 


598  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

We  stopped  at  the  JA?////<3— that  is,  the  hunting-box  they 
arc  preparing  for  the  king.  There  were  a  great  many  men 
there  at  work,  and  I  met  several  of  my  "friends,"  amongst 
others  a  man  of  the  king's  household,  who  has  been  forced 
to  return  to  his  home  in  the  neighbourhood  for  some  time 
in  consequence  of  a  dreadful  disease.  He  is  a  very  intelligent 
and  trustworthy  man.  We  had  to  gratify  them  by  inspecting 
their  work,  and  sitting  down  awhile  to  chat.  As  this  good 
servant  of  the  king,  a  sekomboa,  is  over  the  tribute  in  the 
districts  I  wish  to  visit,  he  gave  me  a  great  deal  of  informa- 
tion, and  ended  with  a  big  sigh  of  regret  that  he  could 
not  come  with  me  himself.  At  this  moment,  a  canoe 
approached  which  we  had  all  been  watching  for  some  time. 
When  we  saw  these  men  bending  to  the  oars,  and  straining 
every  muscle,  some  one  remarked,  "  Those  are  king's  mes- 
sengers ;  when  he  sends  us,  that  is  how  we  row."  What 
a  good  object  lesson  for  our  Christians !  These  men  were,  in 
fact,  hurrying  after  us,  to  bring  us  a  change  of  oars.  Good 
Lewanika  !  This  is  not  the  only  civility  he  has  paid  us  on  this 
voyage.  At  Kapakae,  where  we  arrived  in  the  evening,  worn 
out,  we  found  a  great  ox,  which  he  had  sent  orders  should  be 
given  to  us.  We  were  obliged  to  stay  there  a  day  to  cut 
it  up,  and  we  took  advantage  of  this  to  make  acquaintance 
with  the  people  of  the  village.  I  ought  to  say  to  renew  their 
acquaintance ;  for  the  men,  and  even  the  women,  who  are  often 
summoned  to  the  capital  to  perform  forced  labour  for  the  king, 
are  familiar  with  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  So  we  do  not 
find  ourselves  among  strangers  after  all. 

This  great  village  of  Kapakae  was  that  of  Lewanika  (then 
known  as  Robosi)  before  he  was  elected  to  the  throne.  In  the 
middle  of  heaps  of  heads  and  horns  of  every  kind  of  animal, 
they  showed  me  a  shrub  loaded  with  vertebrae — all  the  trophies 
of  his  chase.^  Lewanika  was  not  only  passionately  fond  of 
hunting ;  he  was  also  a  warrior.  He  specially  distinguished 
himself  in   the   campaigns  against   the    Makololo,  and    in    the 

^  A  kind  of  altar  which  a  hunter  never  fails  to  erect  to  the  manes  of  his 
ancestors,  and  where  he  dedicates  the  first-fruits  of  his  hunting  and  some  of 
the  vertebrae  or  horns  of  the  animals,  A  picture  of  this  hunting-box  appears 
in  Cassell's  "  Story  of  Africa,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  208.  Vols,  ii.  and  iii.  of  that  pub- 
lication contain  many  views  of  Bajrotsi-land  from  M,  Coillard's  photographs. 


»895]  KAPAKAii  599 

terrible  massacres  which  exterminated  that  unhappy  tribe. 
The  oracle — some  oracle  or  other — interpreted  by  the  bones, 
ordered  a  black  cow  without  horns  to  be  given  to  this  "  Son 
of  the  Nation,"  now  a  warrior  of  renown.  Sepopa  (then  king) 
added  thereto  a  number  like  it,  all  black  and  without  horns 
This  is  the  kapakae\  whence  the  village  derives  its  name.  We 
had  been  so  astonished  to  see  this  great  herd  of  hornless  cows 
and  oxen  ;  and  this  was  the  explanation. 

We  found  there  an  old  woman  named  Mobuka,  grand- 
daughter of  Moramboa,  and  great-granddaughter  of  Mboho^ 
(you  see  the  lineage  is  not  a  very  ancient  one  !),  an  interesting 
person,  who  was  quite  proud  to  remiiid  me  of  a  certain  occasion 
when  she  had  heard  the  Gospel  preached  at  Lealuyi.  It  was 
not  the  same  with  some  young  women,  who,  seized  with  terror 
at  seeing  everybody  kneel  and  close  their  eyes  for  prayer,  fled, 
saying,  "They  are  going  to  die;  they  are  dying!"  In  con- 
nexion with  this,  they  tell  me  that,  on  my  arrival  in  the  country, 
when  I  was  preaching  in  the  lekhothla^  old  Narubutu  reproved 
the  people.  "Why  be  so  credulous  and  confiding?"  said  he. 
"  Do  you  know  what  these  people  are  capable  of  doing,  when 
they  keep  us  prostrate  with  our  eyes  shut?  Do  like  me;  be 
prudent ;  put  your  hands  over  your  eyes  ;  and  if  you  see  the 
white  man  speaking  also  on  his  knees  with  his  eyes  shut,  do 
not  trust  to  that! — shut  one  eye,  one  eye  only ;  take  great  care 
not  to  close  both,  and  look  through  your  fingers." 

On  May  nth,  a  Saturday,  we  took  leave  of  our  friends  at 
Kapakae.  After  an  hour  and  a  half  of  labouring  through 
jungles,  we  at  last  emerged  upon  the  river,  an  old  friend  whom 
we  had  lost,  and  were  very  glad  to  find  once  more.  What  a 
relief  to  us  all!  We  definitely  forsook  the  inundated  lands, 
the  plain  so  dear  to  the  Barotsi,  at  about  fifty-six  miles  above 
Lealuyi.  How  beautiful,  how  majestic,  this  Liambae  is !  Its 
gigantic  windings  meander  between  the  north-east  and  the 
north-west  ;  it  flows  in  a  deep  bed  without  a  single  islet, 
between  banks  which  at  this  season  are  still  bare,  but  which 
will  soon  be  fringed  with  the  verdure  of  the  trees.  Palms 
increase  in  number  ;  they  are  scattered  over  the  plain  either 
isolated   or   in   groups,   and    give   a   peculiar  character   to   the 

1  The  first  Barotsi  king,   whose  tomb  is  tlic  shrine  of  Katnramoa.     See 
P^ge  595. 


600  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

landscape.  But,  alas !  the  locusts  have  not  respected  them  ; 
they  have  so  shorn  their  heads,  that,  at  a  distance,  one  would 
take  them  for  so  many  cabbages  stuck  on  the  tops  of  long 
poles.  Not  very  poetical,  certainly ;  but — there  they  are ! 
The  arborescent  vegetation  which  begins  to  show  itself  here, 
and  which,  for  the  Barotsi,  marks  the  limit  of  their  plain,  is 
absolutely  devoid  of  any  tropical  character.  The  plain  does 
not  terminate  so  abruptly  as  at  Senanga,  its  southern  extremity, 
where  the  river  flows  confined,  or  rather  framed,  between  wooded 
hills.  Still,  it  is  not  long  before  we  perceive,  on  the  right  and 
left,  low  hills  running  parallel  to  the  river,  and  converging  at 
the  Rapids  of  Sapuma  ;  but  they  do  not  narrow  in  the  bed — its 
width  is  not  diminished.  We  still  find  some  Barotsi  villages  on 
the  banks ;  but  these  are  the  last.  We  are  entering  the  district 
peopled  by  the  Mamboe. 

This  tribe,  which  speaks  a  dialect  of  the  same  tongue  as  the 
Barotsi,  is  a  link  between  these  latter  and  the  Balunda  and 
Balubale,  who  live  still  farther  away.  Their  villages  are 
scattered  along  the  river,  generally  hidden  in  the  woods  at  a 
little  distance.  The  Mamboe  say  that  they  emigrated  to  this 
country  at  the  same  time  as  the  Barotsi ;  they  come  from  the 
north-east,  from  the  banks  of  the  Kafue,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  Mankoya  and  the  Mashukulumboe,  where  the  greater 
part  of  the  tribe  is  still  to  be  found. 

They  are  intrepid  hippopotamus  hunters,  and  have  a  passion 
for  this  adventurous  life.  Their  little  canoes,  two  or  three  yards 
long,  and  just  wide  enough  to  squat  in,  are  to  them  almost  what 
the  horse  is  for  the  Arab  of  the  desert.  You  should  hear  their 
wonderful  tales  in  the  evening  in  camp,  when  all  the  young 
men,  eyes  fixed  and  mouths  gaping,  are  hanging  on  their  lips. 

We  went  to  spend  our  first  Sunday  in  one  of  their  villages 
at  Noyo's.  We  met  some  travelling  Barotsi  there,  and  people 
also  came  from  the  neighbourhood,  so  that  we  had  a  good 
congregation.  I  made  our  young  men  speak  ;  and  one  of  them, 
a  Moshukulumboe,  who  promises  to  become  a  "son  of  thunder," 
closed  with  these  words,  uttered  in  passionate  accents  :  "  I  tremble 
for  you  ;  you  are  lost,  lost,  as  I  myself  was.  Be  converted  to 
God,  or  you  will  perish  hopelessly.  I  fear  for  }^ou,  my  brothers 
and  my  sisters  in  bondage,  for  Satan  deceives  you  in  making 
you  believe  that  the  good   news   of  salvation   is    only  for  our 


i89S]  PREACHING   TO   THE    MAMBOE  6oi 

masters.  I  tremble  for  you  too,  my  lords— 1  who  am,  as  you 
say,  nothing  but  a  clog  of  a  slave,  a  notJiing.  As  for  you,  you 
puff  j'oursclvcs  up,  you  imagine  that  you  will  enter  Heaven 
because  you  arc  great.  Know  then  that  slaves — yes,  your  slaves 
— have  already  outstripped  you  ;  and  if  you  do  not  take  care, 
you  will  find  the  door  shut.  Oh  !  let  me  beseech  you  ;  make 
yourselves  little,  quite  little,  before  God  ;  throw  yourselves  on  the 
ground,  in  the  dust !  You  will  say  contemptuou.sly,  '  Why  does 
this  inosJiimane  [slave  boy]  speak  to  us  like  this — to  us,  his 
masters?  Has  he  lost  his  head?'  Oh,  my  lords!  it  is  that  I 
was  lost,  and  Jesus  has  saved  me  !  " 

I  spent  the  afternoon  at  the  village — a  collection  of  miserable 
grass  huts  which  have  never  been  plastered,  without  floors  of 
trodden  earth,  without  courtyards,  lost  in  the  midst  of  brush- 
wood and  filth.  The  women  and  children  fled  at  my  approach. 
It  grieved  me  to  the  heart.  I  sat  down  in  the  middle  of  a 
group  of  men. 

"  Do  you  know  that  the  king  has  made  a  great  canal  which 
crosses  the  whole  plain,  from  Nangoko   to  the  river?" 

"  Yes,  we  were  there,  at  it." 

"  Really  !  And  what  to  do  ?  You  were  no  doubt  watching 
and  admiring  the  king,  who  was  digging  out  his  canal  all  by 
himself,  and  who  will  one  day  be  one  of  your  gods ! " 

They  laughed.  "  The  king  had  summoned  the  whole  nation. 
Thousands  of  men  worked  at  it  for  months  and  months.  It 
was  the  same  the  following  year,  and  yet  it  is  not  finished.  We 
have  not  reached  the  two  lakes  which  arc  to  supj^ly  it,  and  it 
dries  up  during  part  of  the  year." 

"  Well,  look  at  this  great  river.  Do  you  know  whither  it 
goes  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  it  dry  ?  " 

•'  Never." 

"  Well,  it  is  the  work  of  God,  the  true  God,  Whom  we  preach. 
No  one  helped  Him.  He  spoke,  and  the  river  began  to  flow  ; 
and  it  will  go  on  flowing  until  God  Himself  says,  '  It  is 
enough  ! ' " 

This  gave  rise  to  questions  and  comments.  The  time  flew 
rapidly  by. 

The  next  stage  brings  us  to  Njonjoro's,  who,  with  another 


602  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

little  Momboe  chief,  was  to  serve  as  our  guide  and  interpreter. 
Before  arriving  there,  we  saw  the  confluence  with  the  Zambesi 
of  the  Loeti,  a  little  river  which  comes  from  the  west,  winding 
about  a  great  deal  (so  they  tell  me)  ;  then,  a  little  farther  on, 
that  of  the  Kabombo,  on  the  left  bank.  This  is  the  principal 
tributary  of  the  Zambesi,  formed  by  two  currents  of  water, 
which  rise  in  the  environs  of  the  late  Sekufele's  capital.  They 
flow  first  from  north  to  south,  then  unite  in  one  wide  and  deep 
stream,  the  Kabombo,  which  flows  directly  west,  to  rejoin  the 
great  river.  All  this  I  learnt  from  information  which  seems  to 
me  trustworthy.  The  panorama  has  something  grand  about  it, 
but  it  is  too  vast  to  be  photographed. 

Our  people  pointed  out  two  little  canoes  which  were  rapidly 
approaching  the  Kabombo,  and  disappearing  under  the  trees 
which  fringed  the  shore.  "  They  are  running  away,  the  rascals  !  " 
they  cried,  and  instantly  gave  chase  to  them,  though  with  no 
unfriendly  intentions.  Not  long  ago,  the  people  fled  everywhere, 
and  the  villages  were  deserted  at  the  first  glimpse  of  a  Morotsi, 
and  not  without  reason.  It  is  no  longer  the  case,  even  in  these 
secluded  spots.  We  found  the  rowers,  with  a  dozen  other  fisher- 
men, peacefully  squatting  in  the  wood,  drying  and  roasting  some 
fish.  On  seeing  us,  their  faces  lit  up.  "  Luinela,  Moruti  !  Ltimela, 
Moriiti!^^  There  was  quite  a  chorus  of  '^ Lwnela,  Moruti!"  for 
each  wanted  to  make  his  own  greeting  heard.  "  When  you  told  us, 
that  Sunday  coming  out  of  the  House  of  Prayer,  that  you  would 
come  and  visit  us,  we  doubted  it  ourselves.  And  yet  you  have 
come  !  Liii?ic/a,  Moruti  !  "  They  eagerly  offered  us  their  broiled 
fish.  Formerly,  my  people  would  have  seized  it  for  themselves- 
We  spoke  to  them  of  the  Lord,  we  sang  a  hymn  to  them,  and 
parted  from  them  like  old  friends.  Everywhere  we  find  men 
who  have  heard  the  Gospel  at  Lealuyi.  I  feel  more  and  more 
anxious  to  see  how  far  the  echoes  of  our  preaching  have  gone. 
We  frequently  see  strangers  at  the  church,  and  I  often  ask 
myself  how  much  of  the  Gospel  they  carry  away.  I  make  it 
my  duty  always  to  address  some  friendly  word  to  them  on 
coming  out.  We  also  visit  them  as  regularly  as  possible.  What 
darkness !  Never  mind ;  the  bread  cast  upon  the  waters  will 
return  to  us  when  we  least  expect  it.  Only  let  us  be  faithful : 
the  promise  is  positive  and  sure. 

The   country  is    now  thickly  wooded    but   little  or   not   at 


i895]  BALUNDA   AND   BALUBALE  603 

all  broken.  The  majesty  of  the  river  becomes  unbearably 
monotonous.  It  is  a  lifeless  landscape.  The  wild  animals, 
where  they  exist,  flee  before  you  have  seen  them,  except  for 
here  and  there  a  hippopotamus  disporting  itself,  or  a  crocodile 
asleep  on  the  sand  :  elsewhere,  perhaps,  a  king-fisher  rising 
the  flutter  of  whose  wings  somewhat  recalls  our  own  skylarks. 
After  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  all  is  silent ;  everything  sleeps. 
It  is  the  silence  of  death.  Here,  however,  is  the  chirp  of  a  bird 
I  have  never  heard  before.  It  has  only  two  notes,  remarkably 
pure  and  powerful  :  sol  do  !  sol  do  !  But  they  suffice  it  to  praise 
its  Creator. 

The  country  is  inhabited  by  the  Balubale  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Zambesi,  and  by  the  Balunda  on  the  left.  To 
judge  by  the  troops  of  men  and  women,  who  run  up  everywhere 
along  the  banks  to  see  the  Moruti — a  great  curiosity  in  these 
parts ! — these  regions  ought  to  be  fairly  thickly  populated. 
But  the  villages  are  hidden  at  some  distance  in  the  woods, 
and  the  river-banks  are  deserted.  The  Balubale  and  Balunda, 
according  to  themselves,  have  a  common  origin,  and  the  sources 
of  the  Zambesi  are  their  cradle.  They  have  similar  customs, 
although  they  speak  different  dialects.  Their  mode  of  building 
is  the  same  ;  the  hut,  which  is  only  quite  a  small  square,  six 
feet  each  way,  has  nothing  by  way  of  wall  but  short  stakes, 
scarcely  three  feet  high,  driven  into  the  ground,  filled  in  with 
grass  or  lined  with  a  mat,  and  supporting  a  round,  pointed 
roof.'  No  plastering  ;  no  floors  of  trodden  earth  ;  no  enclosure 
of  reeds,  which  gives  the  mo.st  humble  dwelling  some  degree  of 
privacy.  Even  in  these  dens,  the  poor  people  still  find  means 
to  light  a  fire,  and  keep  themselves  warm  during  the  night. 
Here,  as  among  the  Banyai,  this  is  the  blanket  of  the  rich  as 
well  as  of  the  poor. 

The  men,  in  order  to  cover  their  nakedness,  wrap  themselves 
carelessly  in  some  deer-skin,  which  they  allow  to  trail  between 
their  legs  ;  while,  as  for  the  women,  they,  poor  creatures,  have 
scarcely  the  traditional  fig-leaf     Both,  but  especially  the  men, 

•  Among  the  African  natives  of  the  South,  the  huts  are  always  round;  a 
right  angle  or  straight  line  are  things  they  scarcely  compreliend.  This  is 
natural  enough,  for  everything  they  see  is  round — the  sky,  the  sun,  the  moon, 
the  horizon  and  so  on.  The  square  sliape  increasingly  prevails,  as  one  goes 
farther  north, 


604  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

expend  all  their  vanity  on  their  head-dress.  Each  gives  free 
scope  to  his  or  her  imagination  and  fancy  :  one  carries  a  fringed 
mane,  which  he  has  constantly  to  shake  back  in  order  to  let 
his  face  appear  ;  another  adorns  himself  with  a  chignon  ;  a 
third  with  a  multitude  of  little  plaits.  One  has  his  hair  all 
shaggy,  as  if  in  imitation  of  a  forest ;  whilst  another  wears  his 
covered  with  great  lumps,  which  remind  one  of  ant-hills.  They  all 
cover  these  marvellous  coiffures  with  a  superabundance  of  grease, 
mixed  with  ochre  or  other  colouring  matter.  I  can  under- 
stand their  pride  in  them  ;  it  takes  several  days'  hard  work  to 
complete  them.  They  are  inordinately  fond  of  mpote — a  very 
intoxicating  beer  made  from  honey.  And,  to  secure  this  precious 
honey,  they  make  hives  of  bark,  which  they  place  in  the  trees. 

Human  life  has  little  value  with  them  ;  they  barter  their 
slaves  as  elsewhere  they  do  domestic  animals.  I  am  assured 
that  it  is  a  common  thing  for  a  boy,  a  girl,  or  a  baby  to  be 
stolen.  They  throttle  it,  cover  its  head  with  a  gourd,  and  go 
and  sell  it  in  a  distant  village  for  cloth,  beads,  or  some  such 
trifle.  These  are  the  most  superstitious  people  I  have  ever 
seen.  Everywhere  the  eye  meets  "  medicines,"  charms,  and 
amulets,  on  the  confines  of  the  village,  in  the  market-place,  and 
in  the  huts,  as  well  as  on  their  persons.  On  every  hand  one 
finds  little  altars  made  of  reeds,  and  here  and  there  a  miniature 
thatched  roof,  which  shelters  some  object  sacred  in  their  eyes. 
Nothing  is  done  without  consulting  the  bones.  It  is  thus  that 
these  poor  creatures,  suspicious  of  everything  and  everybody, 
pass  their  existence  in  the  bondage  of  fear. 

With  them,  the  power  which  was  formerly  concentrated  in 
the  hands  of  a  single  chief,  tends  to  become  ever  more  and  more 
diffused.  A  curious  thing  about  it  is,  that  it  is  not  transmitted 
from  father  to  son  in  direct  descent,  but  through  the  son  of 
the  reigning  chiefs  sister.  Finally,  these  Balubale  and  Balunda 
are  now  in  great  measure  tributary  to  the  Barotsi. 

Our  object  was  first  to  visit  Sindc,  the  great  chief  of  the 
Balunda,  whose  actual  place  of  residence  is  about  forty-four 
miles  from  the  confluence  of  the  Kabombo.^  He  had  fled  from 
a  territory  claimed  by  the  Portuguese  to  Lewanika's  country, 
and  under  his  protection  to  shelter  himself  from  Portuguese 
slave-hunters — blacks  and  mulattoes. 

See  page  546. 


^ 

^ 


iS95]  SINDE  605 

The  news  of  our  visit,  which  had  been  first  announced 
by  Lewanika's  messengers,  had  been  noised  abroad.  A  small 
Barotsi  chief  placed  here — a  prefect,  as  we  should  say  in 
Europe — one  Siyonda,  stopped  us  as  we  passed.  "  Do  not  go 
on,"  he  said  ;  "  farther  on  you  will  find  famine.  Stay  here 
for  a  day,  so  that  we  can  give  you  some  provisions."  From 
the  evening  on,  the  neighbouring  villagers  brought  us  abund- 
ance of  them  ;  and  the  next  morning,  the  chief  Kapele,  Sinde's 
brother,  was  seen,  arriving  at  the  head  of  a  long  Indian  file  : 
it  was  manioc,  sorgho,  maize,  pumpkins,  and  our  provisions 
for  the  journey.  Our  canoes  were  filled  till  they  were  ready 
to  sink.  We  passed  .some  hours  talking  with  these  worthy 
people,  and  explaining  the  good  news  of  salvation  to  them  ; 
and  then  bade  each  other  an  re-ooir  till  our  return.  We  did 
not  then  foresee  under  what  circumstances  that  return  journey 
would  be  made. 

We  arrived  at  Sinde's  on  the  17th.  A  marsh  separated 
us  from  his  village.  The  same  day,  he  paid  us  a  visit  of 
welcome,  and  brought  us  an  immense  calabash  of  tnpotc. 
His  face  fell  when  I  thanked  him,  but  refused  it  ;  and  all  my 
people  did  the  same,  some  because  they  were  Christians,  others 
simply  in  submission  to  the  king,  who  has  forbidden  it.  Sinde 
possessed  a  herd  of  barely  twenty  head  of  cattle,  which  he  had 
received  from  Lewanika.  No  matter  !  hospitality  before  all 
things.  He  sent  us  tivo,  one  for  myself,  the  other  for  Liomba 
(Mokamba).  We  accepted  one,  and  sent  back  the  other.  "  The 
Moruti  is  my  father,"  said  Liomba  ;  "  we  will  eat  together ;  a 
single  animal  will  be  plenty  for  both  of  us."  Sinde  insisted, 
not  understanding  the  delicacy  of  this  refusal.  We  insisted 
too.  The  chief  then  sent  a  little  boy,  a  slave,  as  a  present  to 
Liomba.  "  You  will  not  have  my  ox  ;  at  any  rate  accept  this 
slave."  "Thank  you,"  replied  Liomba,  "  I  have  enough  men  to 
serve  me.  We  believers  have  learnt  that  we  ought  not  to  treat 
the  creatures  of  God  as  beasts  of  burden.  Restore  this  child 
to  his  mother  ;  and  if  you  are  determined  I  should  accept 
something  from  you,  a  piece  of  cloth  will  suffice,  and  I  shall 
be  grateful."  Sinde  immediately  sent  him  the  printed  calico 
which  he  himself  was  wearing.  It  was  certainly  a  little  soiled — 
it  had  done  its  duty  ;  but  one  could  not  take  it  amiss,  for  it  was 
the  pledge  of  a  warm  and  generous  heart. 


6o6  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

The  morass  did  not  prevent  me  from  going  with  all  my 
people  to  spend  Sunday  at  the  capital  of  the  Balunda.  This 
capital  does  not  amount  to  much  !  On  the  edge  of  the  forest 
is  a  large  square  enclosure,  made  of  grass  tastefully  interwoven, 
which  contains  the  chiefs  harem  :  outside  are  about  fifteen  huts, 
scattered  about ;  and  that  is  all.  But  if  there  were  a  missionary 
residing  with  him  in  a  suitable  place,  this  would  be  altered. 

We  sat  down  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  the  only  one  in 
the  village,  and  a  very  stunted  one.  They  hastily  constructed 
a  shelter  of  mats  in  front  of  us  for  the  chief:  the  village 
women  and  the  men  from  the  neighbourhood,  whom  he  had 
assembled,  grouped  themselves  round  us,  and  I  began.  I  ex- 
plained the  Commandments,  laying  special  stress  upon  some  of 
them.  Sindc  could  not  restrain  himself  from  making  remarks' 
some  of  which  were  quaint  enough.  He  asserted  his  rights  of 
life  and  death  over  his  subjects,  and  protested  against  what 
I  said  of  slavery.  He  became  serious,  however,  and  listened 
with  deference  to  the  testimony  of  Liomba  (Mokamba)  and  of 
Taii-ira,  forcible  as  it  was,  and  full  of  good  sense. 

On  the  2ist,  we  moored  our  canoes  as  near  as  possible 
to  the  village  belonging  to  Mosoandunga,  a  chief  of  the 
Balubale,  and  Nyakametsi,  an  intelligent  chieftainess  of  the 
same  tribe.  Mosoandunga  is  the  principal  chief  against  whom 
the  Barotsi  waged  that  disastrous  war  four  years  ago.^  He  had 
made  his  submission  since  then  ;  and  in  accordance  with  the 
orders  of  Lewanika,  his  suzerain,  he  had  recently  come  to 
establish  himself  where  he  now  is.  I  walked  eight  hours  to 
visit  him  at  his  own  home  (there  and  back,  of  course).  I  had 
made  up  my  mind  to  do  so,  and  I  think  it  gratified  him.  He 
did  not  make  me  dance  attendance  on  him  for  more  than  the 
half-hour  necessary  to  preserve  his  dignity.  To  pass  the  time, 
I  was  amusing  myself  by  counting  his  huts,  of  which  there 
were  in  all  half  a  dozen,  with  their  smoky  roofs  showing  above 
the  brushwood,  when  I  heard  the  deafening  noise  of  a  large 
drum,  carried  by  two  men.  It  was  Mosoandunga,  who  was 
advancing  towards  us,  escorted  by  a  troop  of  young  men.  He 
is  pretty  stout  ;  and  as  he  sat  down,  his  folding-chair  collapsed 
under  him.     Wc   kept  our  countenances  all  the  same.     When 

*  See  page  468. 


iSgS]  SAPUMA  607 

once  the  ice  was  broken  by  the  salutations,  we  conversed  for 
some  time  ;  and  then  he  collected  the  people,  whom  he  had  had 
summoned  from  the  neighbouring  villages,  and  whom  curiosity 
had  attracted  in  great  numbers,  and  we  spoke  to  them  of  God 
and  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  When  I  told  them  to  kneel  down  for 
the  prayer,  there  was  a  certain  amount  of  hesitation  among 
the  women,  who  were  seized  with  fear.  "  Never  mind,"  cried 
Mosoandunga,  "  we  shall  only  die  for  a  minute  ;  we  know  very 
well  what  it  is  ;  we  have  seen  how  they  do  at  Lealuyi."  It 
was  dark  when  we  regained  our  camp. 

During  the  morning  of  the  next  day,  wild  cries,  and  a  noise 
of  little  bells,  accompanied  with  the  sound  of  the  drum,  resounded 
through  the  woods,  and  announced  from  afar  the  chief  Mosoan- 
dunga. He  soon  appeared,  carried  in  a  hammock  at  a  swinging 
trot.  He  came  to  return  our  visit,  arrange  with  us  to  send  an 
express  messenger  to  the  great  chief  Kakenge,  to  warn  him  of 
our  arrival,  and  to  send  a  letter  by  him  for  the  Brethren,*  who 
are  with  his  mother,  Nyakatoro,  with  a  message  for  her.  The 
chief's  own  brother  took  charge  of  this  important  mission,  and 
promised  to  perform  the  journey  in  three  days,  while  we  should 
occupy  at  least  eight. 

Our  measures  thus  taken,  we  went  to  spend  our  second 
Sunday  at  Sapuma.  Sapuma  !  Should  one  give  it  the  name  of 
Rapids  or  FaWi  There,  as  at  Seoma  (Ngonye),  and  on  a  for- 
midable scale  at  Musi  oa  Tunya,  an  upheaval  has  blocked  the 
bed  of  the  river  with  a  strong  dam  of  igneous  rocks.  But,  in  the 
middle,  for  a  distance  of  about  forty-five  feet,  the  concentrated 
force  of  the  river  has  undermined  and  broken  through  the  dam, 
and  it  is  through  this  breach  that  it  rushes  in  a  furious  torrent. 
Fifteen  miles  higher  up,  there  is  a  repetition  of  Sapuma,  but 
on  a  smaller  scale — another  barrier  of  rocks,  through  which 
also  the  river  has  made  a  breach  in  two  or  three  places :  this 
is  Yorose.  Between  these  two  barriers  is  an  uninterrupted 
rapid,  where  navigation  is  of  the  most  difficult  and  dangerous 
kind.  In  themselves,  the  walls  of  rock  give  a  character  of 
grandeur  to  Sapuma ;  but  the  coast,  the  river  scenery,  in  short 
the  setting  of  the  landscape,  is  insignificant. 

We  spent  a  blessed  Sunday  at  Sapuma — one  of  those  daj's 

'  Dr.  Fisher  ar.d  Mr.  Cyril  Bird,  of  the  Garenganze  Mission,  known  as 
Mr.  Arnot's. 


6o8  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

which  count  in  life,  and  which  will  also  count  in  eternity.  Our 
meetings  were  such  as  one  leaves  reluctantly.  "  It  is  good  to  be 
here  ! "  The  Lord  was  there  amongst  us  ;  we  felt  it.  Towards 
evening,  the  bands  of  Balubale,  who  had  heard  us  spoken  of, 
came  out  of  various  parts  of  the  forests,  and  thus  gave  us  an 
opportunity  of  preaching  Jesus  to  them. 

We  were  reduced  to  short  commons.  The  people  promised 
to  bring  us  some  food  for  sale  early  next  morning.  We  waited 
for  them  till  midday,  whilst  carrying  our  canoes  above  Sapuma. 
They  came  at  last,  but  only  with  a  few  handfuls  of  cereals, 
which  we  bought  at  famine  prices. 

We  hoped  for  better  things  from  the  chief  Senyama,  whose 
place  we  reached  at  2.30  p.m.  ;  and  simply  in  order  to  give 
them  time  to  prepare  their  goods,  we  yielded  to  their  impor- 
tunity, and  encamped  for  the  night.  I  profited  by  this  halt  to 
make  a  little  excursion  with  Liomba  and  my  boys.  The  chief 
lives  on  the  banks  of  the  Kabako,  one  of  the  tributaries  on  the 
right  of  the  Zambesi.  To  judge  by  the  broad  and  deep  junction, 
like  that  of  the  Kabombo,  one  would  think  it  was  a  large  river. 
Wishing  to  see  a  cataract,  which  we  were  told  was  close  by,  we 
set  out  in  canoes.  It  was  a  curious  excursion,  which  certainly 
did  not  lack  charm  or  novelty.  We  had  not  gone  a  mile  and 
a  quarter  before  the  river-bed  had  considerably  narrowed. 
Soon,  it  became  nothing  more  than  a  labyrinth  of  pools,  bogs, 
and  streamlets,  covered  by  an  impenetrable  thicket  of  mangrove. 
The  paddles  were  useless.  We  could  only  advance  by  means 
of  grasping  the  branches  and  roots  which  barred  our  passage, 
stooping  or  lying  down  in  the  canoe,  as  occasion  arose,  to  save 
our  heads  ;  lucky  when  we  did  not  miss  the  main  stream.  A 
little  higher  up,  the  channel  deepened,  and  the  stream  emerged 
from  the  tangle ;  but,  soon  finding  it  obstructed  again,  we 
moored  the  boat,  and  made  the  rest  of  the  journey  on  foot. 

The  villages  were  numerous,  and  we  lost  ourselves  in  the 
fields  of  manioc.  The  men  and  women  who  saw  us  took  to 
flight ;  but  as  they  were  soon  reassured,  our  escort  rolled  on 
like  a  snowball  ;  and  when  we  arrived  at  the  cataract,  we  had 
quite  a  hundred  people  following  us.  Unfortunately,  the  sun 
had  reached  the  horizon,  and  we  were  obliged  to  hurry. 

The  stream  coming  from  the  west,  flows  over  a  rocky  bed, 
wliich  slopes  suddenly.     There  is  a  boiling  torrent  there,  which 


i895]  SHORT  COMMONS  609 

leaps  noisily  over  the  rocks  obstructing  its  passage  ;  then,  at  the 
edge  of  a  gigantic  horseshoe  wall,  it  rushes  in  a  pretty  cascade, 
thirty  feet  high,  into  a  vast  and  deep  basin,  where  it  again 
grows  tranquil.  The  country  is  slightly  accidented.  The  lines 
of  the  wooded  hills,  breaking  in  the  far  distance,  seem  to  open 
up  glimpses  into  infinity.  Needless  to  add  that  it  was  night 
before  we  got  back. 

The  next  day,  all  that  I  could  buy  was  half  a  bag  of  sorghs, 
and  that  took  up  all  my  time  till  midday.  I  will  not  mention 
what  it  cost  me  in  beads,  calico,  and,  above  all,  patience ! 

We  were  thus  obliged  to  push  on  to  the  Lumbala,  another 
tributary  on  the  right  bank.  We  had  been  told  that  it  was 
a  thickly  populated  centre,  and  that  was  true.  We  arrived 
there  on  May  29th.  I  sent  to  the  nearest  villages.  The  people 
there  were  all  either  drunk  or  drinking,  so  there  was  nothing 
to  be  had  ;  and  our  poor  men  were  still  forced  to  be  on  rations. 
It  was  a  very  astonishing  thing ;  for,  ever  since  we  left  Sapuma, 
we  had  been  escorted  by  troops  of  men  and  women,  flocking 
together  to  see  the  Moruti.  We  stopped  from  time  to  time  to 
tell  them  the  Good  News  which  we  have  come  to  preach. 
They  listened,  their  eyes  fixed,  necks  craned,  and  mouths  gaping. 
Here,  there  was  a  chief  preparing  his  liyumbu — that  is  to  say, 
"  the  food  of  hospitality  "  ;  there,  a  tardy  chieftainess,  who  kept 
us  waiting  for  nearly  an  hour,  promising  us  abundance  !  They 
both  arrived  with  empty  hands ;  there  was  no  longer  any 
question  of  food  even.  It  was  only  a  ruse,  a  wicked  device, 
because  they  knew  that  we  were  famishing.  They  wanted  to 
see  the  great  curiosity  of  the  day,  this  double  phenomenon,  a 
Moriiti  who  was  also  a  white  man.  A  monster  they  had  never 
yet  seen — two  persons  in  one.  Should  we  repay  them  with 
ill-temper  ?  Poor  people !  they  themselves  are  in  want.  The 
black  clouds  of  locusts,  which  have  not  left  us  since  we  quitted 
Katuramoa,  tell  us  enough.  No.  It  is  better,  while  their  great 
ivory  eyes  are  fixed  upon  my  person,  to  speak  to  them  of 
God,  of  His  justice  and  His  love. 

Happily,  a  right  spirit  prevails  among  our  people.  The 
prospect  of  soon  arriving  at  Kakenge's  revives  their  courage. 
"  He  is  a  great  chief :  at  his  place  we  are  sure  to  be  well 
received :  we  shall  forget  all  about  our  hunger."  Alas  !  how 
little  they  thought  what  awaited  us  ! 


6lO  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1895 

We  made  forced  stages :  \vc  passed  ever  to  the  right  bank 
of  the  Ruena — a  Httle  river  which  curves  round  from  the  west. 
It  was  somewhere  about  here  that,  once  upon  a  time,  stood 
the  capital  of  Kakenge,  the  great  chief  of  the  Balubale/ 
To-day,  the  inheritor  of  this  name  has  removed  ;  but  not  far 
away,  for  hamlets  are  scattered  or  sometimes  thickly  grouped 
on  the  bank  ;  one  sees  foot-passengers  crossing  one  another's 
path,  miniature  canoes  ascending  or  descending  the  current  ; 
all  is  life  and  movement.  Everything  tells  us  we  are 
near  it. 

We  did,  in  fact,  arrive  on  May  30th.  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  and  in  suffocating  heat.  We  had  been  told,  "  A  long 
way  off  you  will  see  a  great,  grand  house,  very  high  ;  there  is 
not  such  another  in  the  country.  It  is  the  Kakenge's  capital." 
Sure  enough,  we  did  see  on  the  top  of  the  hill  a  pointed  roof 
of  thatch,  dominating  the  little  huts  which  scarcely  rose  above 
the  surrounding  brushwood.     It  was  certainly  there. 

We  anchored  the  canoes  in  the  midst  of  a  curious  crowd, 
especially  of  children.  After  having  announced  ourselves,  we 
waited  long  for  the  chiefs  answer.  That  did  not  disturb  us  ; 
we  know  that  kind.  At  last  it  came,  and  it  was  brought  by 
some  middle-aged  men.  "  They  know  the  right  way  of  doing 
things  at  Kakenge's,"  thought  I. 

But  without  even  saluting  us,  disregarding  the  most  ele- 
mentary courtesy,  these  men,  in  Kakenge's  name,  and  in  rough, 
haughty  tones,  delivered  us  the  order  to  cross  the  river  and 
camp  on  the  opposite  shore.  What  a  blow  !  For  the  shade  and 
the  fuel-wood,  it  might  have  been  better  for  us ;  but  it  cost  me 
much  to  put  the  river  between  ourselves  and  the  people  we 
had  come  to  visit,  and  that  was  what  I  replied.  Liomba  him- 
self, and  our  Barotsi,  took  the  thing  as  an  insult.  Kakenge 
is  a  vassal  whom  Lewanika  has  just  invested  with  his  authority. 
There  was  bitterness  in  our  first  interview,  and  it  left  us  under 
a  painful  impression. 

Half  an  hour  afterwards,  the  same  messengers  returned,  this 
time  with  a  mob  of  young  men  all  armed  with  guns !  "  The 
chief  Kakenge  says  that,  since  you  wish  it,  you  may  stop  and 

1  Many  of  the  African  chiefs  have  territorial  names,  which  each  adopts  as 
he  succeeds  to  the  sovereignty.  The  title  is  attached  to  the  dignity,  not  to 
the  family,  and  the  dignity  is  elective. 


i895]  A  REBUFF  6ll 

camp  here." — "  All  right  ;  but  what  sort  of  way  is  this  to  receive 
us  ? — with  guns  !  "  After  a  somewhat  heated  altercation,  which 
happily  I  was  able  to  moderate,  we  obtained  the  concession 
that  all  the  guns,  which  were  increasing  with  every  fresh 
arrival,  should  be  returned  to  the  village. 

This  first  danger  warded  off,  it  was  impossible  for  me  to 
accept  the  situation,  strained  as  it  already  was,  and  so  entirely 
without  cause.  So  I  sent  one  of  these  men  to  tell  the  chief 
I  earnestly  requested  to  see  him,  and  that  without  delay.  He 
replied  that  the  dignity  of  a  great  chief  like  himself  did  not 
permit  him  to  receive  a  stranger  thus ;  that  he  would  see,  and 
would  send  me  word  in  some  days  if  he  saw  fit.  This  was 
crude  enough  ;  and  during  this  time  bands  of  armed  men 
kept  coming  up  from  various  directions.  Night  fell  ;  the  drums 
began  to  beat  ;  they  fired  one  gunshot  after  another ;  they 
shouted  and  yelled  ;  it  was  an  appalling  hubbub ;  the  dances 
had  begun,  and  dances  of  a  character  we  could  not  mistake. 
No  one  slept  that  night.     However,  we  were  not  attacked. 

The  next  morning,  I  once  more  sent  the  same  message  to 
Kakengc,  emphasising  the  fact  that  it  was  of  all  importance  I 
should  see  him.  He  replied  that  he,  on  his  part,  wanted  to 
know  what  I  meant  by  coming  into  his  country  with  a  band 
of  Barotsi  without  his  permission,  and  without  even  warning 
him  ;  that,  before  seeing  his  face,  he  required  Liomba,  as  much 
as  myself,  to  pay  him  the  niosapo — that  is,  the  homage,  or 
rather  the  tax,  he  exacts  from  black  Portuguese  traders  who 
enter  his  country. 

I  referred  to  the  messengers  I  had  sent  him,  to  the  letter 
I  had  asked  him  to  forward  with  my  message  to  his  mother 
Nyakatoro.  I  told  him  I  was  not  a  merchant,  nor  even  a 
traveller,  but  a  Monet i,  and  that  I  had  only  come  into  his 
country  to  teach  the  things  of  God.  I  added  that  I  would 
not  refuse  to  make  him  a  present  when  I  should  see  what 
manner  of  reception  he  accorded  me,  but  that  I  would  never 
consent  to  pay  him  the  inosapo  of  the  Mambari,  so  he  could 
look  on  that  as  settled  once  for  all.  Thus  the  whole  morning 
passed  in  parleying.  Kakenge  ended  by  appearing  to  yield  ;  and 
without  making  any  further  attempt  to  exact  the  famous  inosapo, 
he  bade  us  to  the  lekJiothla.  He  was  there,  throned  on  a  stool, 
draped  in  a  thick  blanket  of  coloured  wool,  under  the  shade  of 


6l2  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

an  enormous  blue  cotton  umbrella,  held  by  a  slave.  The  place 
was  full  of  men,  decked  out  in  their  war-paint,  and  surrounded 
by  bundles  of  guns.  The  circle  opened  before  us,  only  to  close 
again  behind,  and  they  made  us  sit  down  in  the  blazing  sun, 
opposite  to,  but  at  a  distance  from,  the  chief,  I  saluted  him, 
and  so  did  my  people  ;  he  responded  only  to  me,  and  we 
studied  each  other  for  some  minutes. 

I  tried  to  explain  clearly  the  object  of  my  voyage,  insisting 
on  the  fact  of  the  messengers  I  had  sent  him.  Unfortunately, 
my  Mamboe  interpreters  were  paralysed  with  fright,  and  my 
words  had  to  pass  by  six  mouths — six  new  editions — before 
they  reached  him.  Kakenge  was  not  in  a  mood  to  listen  to 
my  explanations,  which  he  treated  as  lies.  He  roughly  inter- 
rupted me,  and  himself  broke  into  a  passionate  speech  which 
no  one  could  interpret  to  me.  "  What  does  he  say  ? "  I  asked 
of  Liomba.  "  Oh,  he  is  full  of  anger  ;  he  is  insulting  and 
threatening  us."  His  face  and  gestures,  as  well  as  the  anything 
but  soothing  attitude  of  his  people,  said  it  sufficiently ;  and  I 
took  full  cognisance  of  it. 

He  kept  us  there  more  than  an  hour,  roasting  in  the  sun  ; 
and  when  he  had  worked  off  his  effervescence,  he  suddenly  rose, 
and  disappeared  hastily  into  the  court  of  his  harem.  Thus 
ended  this  interview  on  which  I   had  so  counted. 

My  people,  who  for  the  most  part  understood  the  language, 
were  terrified.  All  were  gloomy  and  silent ;  each  was  entirely 
wrapped  up  in  his  own  thoughts.  Sinister  rumours,  moreover, 
were  flying  from  mouth  to  mouth.  Two  of  my  men  had 
contracted  blood-brotherhood  with  some  Balubale  ^  ;  and  these 
new  brothers,  faithful  to  inviolable  obligations,  had  confided  to 
them  that  Kakenge,  out  of  pure  hatred  for  the  Barotsi,  had 
sworn  our  perdition  ;  and  that  if  we  escaped  his  hands,  he  had 
given  orders  up  the  river  to  have  us  arrested  and  massacred. 
There  is  a  certain  chief  up  that  way,  named  Kalipa,  whom 
Lewanika  had  deposed  in  favour  of  the  present  Kakenge,  and 
he  had  undertaken  the  affair.  Liomba  was  the  only  one  who 
kept  calm.     As  for   Taii-ira,  he  tried  to  console  his  friends  in 

•  This  ceremony  consists  in  extracting  blood  from  each  other's  arm,  and 
mixing  it  up  with  some  porridge,  which  both  parties  eat  together  out  of  the 
same  dish.  Henceforth  they  are  one,  and  have  no  more  secrets  between 
tlicm.     Such  an  alliance  is  never  known  to  be  broken. — Author's  Note. 


'^95]  AT   KAKENGE'S  613 

misfortune  by  repeating  philosophic. illy  that  "after  all  one  can 
only  die  once."  Others,  I  learnt  later  on,  had  secretly  laded 
their  canoes,  and  planned  to  fly  in  the  night.  I  had  caught 
several  others  loading  their  guns.  Moreover,  seeing  the  youths 
of  the  village — the  men  did  not  show  themselves — coming 
and  going  in  our  encampment,  sitting  on  our  mats,  touching 
everything,  and  behaving  impudently,  my  dread  was  that  our 
young  men  would  yield  to  these  provocations,  and  thus  fire 
the  magazine.     All  this  time  we  had  had  no  food. 

Our  evening  meeting  was  what  it  could  only  be  in  these 
circumstances.  Not  one  was  absent.  I  exhorted  my  poor 
people  to  put  their  trust  in  God.  I  told  them  of  our  adventures 
with  Masonda  among  the  Banya'i,  and  set  forth  the  wonderful 
deliverance  the  Lord  had  granted  us.  "  Well,  my  friends,"  I 
said,  "  mark  my  words  ;  it  will  be  just  the  same  here.  God  says 
in  His  Word  that  the  heart  of  the  king  is  in  His  hand,  and  that 
as  the  rivers  of  water,  so  He  turneth  it.^  I  have  always  proved 
that  true  in  my  experience,  even  when  we  came  into  your  own 
country,  where  we  met  with  more  difficulties  than  you  imagine. 
The  heart  of  Kakenge  is  as  much  in  the  hand  of  God  as  that 
of  Lewanika  and  that  of  Masonda.  To-morrow,  you  will  see, 
Kakenge  will  not  only  send  us  food,  but  he  will  also  give  us 
words  of  peace,  and  not  a  hair  of  our  heads  will  fall  to  the 
ground." 

My  words  may  seem  audacious  and  rash  ;  they  were  the 
words  of  absolute  conviction.  These  men  heard  them  with 
astonishment.  After  that,  no  one  thought  of  running  away. 
No  one  slept,  of  course  ;  all  were  crying  to  God,  and  the  heathen 
more  than  the  others.  As  for  myself,  I  was  calm  and  confident, 
because  I  felt  that  the  glory  of  my  God  was  at  stake.  The 
morning  broke ;  we  had  not  been  attacked.  But  where  was 
the  promised  deliverance? 

I  sent  to  Kakenge  to  say  I  was  going  to  .see  him,  my.self 
alone.  "  Wait,"  he  answered  me  ;  "  1  cannot  talk  with  a  hungry 
man." 

Was  this  the  first  gleam  of  our  granted  prayer?  Not  to 
my  people,  at  any  rate — quite  the  contrary.  The  w  hole  morn- 
ing  passed  thus— waiting.     Nothing!     The  afternoon  wore  on. 

Prov.  .\xi.    \.     See  pa<;c  28. 


6l4  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

Nothing!  At  last,  towards  three  o'clock,  a  procession  which 
I  saw  coming  out  of  the  village  advanced  slowly  towards  us. 
//  was  tJie  promised  food  from  Kakenge  !  Baskets  of  manioc, 
millet,  sweet-potatoes,  fowls,  and  what  not !  Every  one 
assembled. 

"  Moruti"  said  an  old  man,  "  here  are  the  liyumbn  of 
Kakenge.  Now  make  him  a  present,  worthy  of  himself  and 
yourself.  The  other  day,  you  gave  him  stuff — it  was  blood- 
stained "  {i.e.  red)  ;  "  and  he  passed  it  on  to  his  slaves :  you 
added  white,  and  he  offered  it  to  the  gods ;  beads  too,  and  he 
distributed  them  to  his  wives.  He  himself  has  had  nothing 
from  you  as  yet :  you  have  beautiful  things  ;  give ! " 

These  were  delicate  matters,  and  took  a  long  time  to  adjust. 
It  was  not  easy  for  me  to  please  them,  for  the  good  reason  that 
I  had  not  provided  myself  for  such  an  eventuality.  At  last, 
I  put  my  hand  on  a  piece  of  stuff  which  caught  the  eyes  of 
my  Balubale ;  and  not  to  embroil  matters  anew,  I  said  to  my 
people,  "  Come,  I  will  carry  it  myself  to  Kakenge ;  let  us  go 
and  thank  him  for  his  food."  Finding  I  was  determined,  the 
baffled  messengers  of  the  chief  reluctantly  placed  themselves  at 
the  head  of  the  file. 

Seeing  us  break  into  the  lekJiotJda  without  further  ceremony, 
Kakenge  fled  into  his  court.  I  sent  him  the  stuff,  and  said  to 
my  people,  "  Now  for  the  royal  salutation."  Taken  aback,  they 
instantly  stood  in  position, and  their  mighty  '^Yo-sJio''  and  hand- 
clappings  produced  such  an  effect,  that,  while  the  messenger  sent 
to  thank  me  for  the  stuff  was  still  speaking,  Kakenge  himself,  in 
despite  of  his  dignity,  hurried  up,  took  his  stool,  and  came  and 
planted  himself  right  in  front  of  me.  His  face  was  beaming. 
"  Now,"  he  said,  "  I  believe  in  your  good  intentions.  Forget  my 
ill-temper  in  these  past  days.  I  had  sent  orders  up  the  river 
to  have  you  arrested  ;  I  am  going  to  countermand  them,  and 
announce  you  to  Nyakatoro.  My  own  people  shall  conduct 
you.     Only,"  he  added,  "  do  not  take  the  Balubale  for  women." 

Suddenly,  he  threw  himself  backwards,  stiffened  himself, 
kicked  about,  tore  himself  with  his  nails,  and  made  frightful 
contortions,  rolled  his  eyes,  ground  his  teeth,  and  uttered  horrible 
cries.  Then,  calming  himself  with  equal  suddenness,  he  rose,  and 
darted  into  his  court.  We  remained  stupefied  !  I  had  thought 
at  first  that  the  man   had  a  fit,  and  I  wanted   to  fetch  some 


1^95]  F;\REWFXL  TO  KAKENGE  615 

water ;  but  all  his  people  had  risen,  and  were  uttering  savage 
cries  to  applaud  him.  Then  I  realised  that  Kakenge  was 
vaunting  his  courage  by  imitating  a  ferocious  beast  struggling 
with  his  prey  and  devouring  it.     If  I  had  only  had  my  camera  ! 

This  last  tragi-comic  scene  would  somewhat  have  tarnished 
the  bright  impressions  of  my  companions,  if  Kakenge  had  not 
hastened  to  send  us  a  friendly  messenger  with  a  little  food, 
inviting  us  to  go  the  next  day  and  "  sing  at  his  place."  That 
would  be  Whit  Sunday.  God  had  glorified  Himself  I  felt 
moved  that  evening,  when  I  saw  my  people  round  their  fires 
cooking  their  food.  Some  were  talking,  commenting  with 
animation  on  the  occurrences  ;  the  youngest  ones  were  repro- 
ducing the  savage  scene  they  had  just  witnessed  ;  others  were 
thoughtful  and  said  nothing. 

Prudence  made  me  renounce  pursuing  my  voyage  as  far 
as  Nyakatoro's,  and  that  will  be  understood  without  further 
explanation. 

The  next  day,  the  Day  of  Pentecost  (Whit  Sunday),  we  went 
to  the  lekhothla,  no  longer  in  disgrace  this  time.  The  guns 
had  disappeared  ;  Kukenge  and  his  men  grouped  themselves 
around  us  ;  our  singing  attracted  the  women  and  children  of 
the  village ;  and  there,  too,  we  published  the  good  tidings  of 
salvation.  Liomba  greatly  astonished  Kakenge  when  he  told 
him  that  he  was  himself  a  believer — he,  the  king's  son-in-law, 
Liomba  {i.e.  second  minister  of  state).  He  doubtless  thought 
— and  he  is  not  alone  in  that — the  Gospel  was  for  the  poor 
and  little  ones  of  the  earth  ;  and  not  for  the  great  ones,  whom 
God  would  honour  in  a  special  way,  or  who,  perhaps,  would 
honour  God  by  entering  His  heaven. 

I  surprised  him  in  my  turn  by  announcing  my  decision  to 
turn  back.  "  They  will  say  it  is  Kakenge  who  turned  you 
back,"  he  said.  But  seeing  I  was  quite  decided,  and  that 
none  of  his  promises  could  shake  me,  he  absolutely  would  not 
have  us  take  leave  of  him  till  the  next  morning.  "  But  we 
want  to  start  early « "  "  No  matter,  they  will  wake  me ! " 
And  sure  enough,  very  early  on  Monday,  while  the  tent  was 
being  struck  and  the  canoes  laded,  we  ran  to  his  place,  and 
found  him  waiting  for  us.  I  was  even  able  to  take  a  bad 
photograph  of  him,  in  spite  of  his  objections.  He  gave  us 
another  basket  of  flour.     "  Come  back    next  year,"  he  said  to 


6l6  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

me  ;  "  you  will  find  no  more  obstacles  on  your  road,  and  you 
shall  take  two  of  my  children  to  teach.  I  would  give  them 
to  you  to-day,  but  the  road  to  Lealuyi  is  still  untrodden." 
I  was  quite  of  his  mind.  Once  in  our  boats,  I  leave  you 
to  guess  if  our  boatmen  rowed  or  not !  The  dark  spot  was — 
famine. 

As  we  descended,  we  learnt  that  a  chief  named  Kenya,  in 
the  hope  that  we  should  call  at  his  place,  had  in  fact  intercepted 
our  messengers,  and  even  the  letter  he  was  to  have  sent  on  to 
Kakenge.  His  village  was  too  far  from  the  river,  and  we  had  put 
off  our  visit  to  him  till  the  return  voyage.  Out  of  spite,  he  would 
send  nothing  on.  That  partly  explains  the  attitude  of  Kakenge, 
and  exonerates  him  in  my  eyes.  I  confess  that,  when  he  said 
he  had  received  nothing  from  us,  I  did  not  believe  him.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  I  think  the  foregoing  incident  contributed 
not  a  little  to  kill  inter-tribal  animosities  and  confirm  peace.  One 
thing  is  very  certain,  and  that  is  that,  if  I  could  make  this  same 
voyage  again  later  on,  even  with  a  band  of  Barotsi,  we  should 
not  have  the  same  dangers  to  risk  a  second  time. 

The  unlucky  Kenya,  learning  of  our  adventures,  was  beside 
himself,  and  raced  after  us.  We  could  not  wait  for  him  ;  famine 
was  driving  us  on,  and  that  prevented  us  from  taking  his  child 
(from  Mosongo's),  to  bring  him  to  school,  as  had  been  agreed 
upon.  While  condemning  him,  we  did  all  we  could,  by  means 
of  his  brother  Mosoandunga,  to  calm  and  reassure  him. 

On  our  return,  our  worthy  friend  Sinde  received  us  with 
the  same  hearty  warmth  as  when  we  went.  Unfortunately, 
a  violent  ophthalmia,  which  confined  him  to  his  house,  pre- 
vented our  seeing  him.  From  the  same  cause  his  own  son 
and  two  of  his  nephews  could  not  start  with  us  cither  to  come 
to  school. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  voyage,  I  had  felt  a  keen  anxiety 
about  our  boatmen  :  their  conversion  was  the  subject  of  my 
prayers  ;  individual  exhortations  and  pressing  appeals  had  been 
often  addressed  to  them.  Especially  had  our  morning  and 
evening  worship  always  been  solemn,  and  became  still  more 
so  after  our  adventures  with  Kakenge. 

One  evening  (it  was  at  Sinde's,  on  June  9th),  we  were 
camping  in  a  bushy  wood,  feebly  lighted  up  by  the  pale  rays 
of  the  moon.      You  might  have  seen   mc  with  all  my  people 


1^95]  CONVERSION   OF    BOATMEN  617 

squatting  round  the  central  fire  of  our  bivouac.  A  fcclini;-  of 
deep  solemnity  had  taken  hold  of  us.  I  had  once  again 
addressed  serious  words  to  these  men,  who  for  six  weeks  had 
shared  my  life  in  this  adventurous  voyage.  I  had  ceased 
speaking,  and  silence  had  followed  my  words.  At  last  a 
boy  burst  forth. 

"  I  am  Mosesanyane  of  Lepakae,"  he  said  in  a  quivering 
voice.  "Last  year,  I  worked  at  our  father  the  MoriitPs\ 
when  my  time  was  up,  I  ran  away  with  an  arrow  in  my 
heart.  I  said  to  myself,  '  Pooh  !  that  will  pass  off ;  it  is 
only  a  stray  shaft ' ;  and  I  thought  my  wound  was  healed. 
But  at  Sapuma  a  new  arrow  pierced  through  me.  When  I 
thought  of  the  great  day,  when  even  the  kings,  the  great  ones, 
and  the  rich,  would  call  upon  the  rocks  and  mountains  to  fall 
upon  them,  I  asked  myself  how  I,  poor  and  little  as  I  am, 
could  possibly  escape.  Since  then,  I  have  never  ceased  to  call 
upon  the  Lord  Jesus  to  have  pity  upon  me.  I  believe  He 
has  heard  me,  and  I  am  His." 

Another,  a  grown  man,  declared  that  it  was  our  adventures 
with  Kakenge  that  had  opened  his  eyes,  and  decided  him. 
"  When  our  father  asserted  that  the  heart  of  even  Kakenge 
was  in  the  hand  of  God,  I  said  to  myself,  *  We  shall  see  :  is  the 
Lloriiti  a  seer?'  That  seemed  to  us  just  as  strange  as  the  word 
of  Jesus  to  His  disciples,  '  He  sleeps,  and  I  go  to  awake  him  cnit 
of  sleep  '  ;  and  yet  the  man  was  certainly  dead.  Well,  yes  !  God 
has  worked  a  miracle.  When  we  were  expecting  to  be  massacred. 
He  changed  Kakenge's  heart  towards  us.  God  hears  prayers  : 
that  is  true  indeed.  After  having  been  driven  by  terror  to 
prayer,  I  have  begun  to  pray  for  the  pardon  of  my  sins." 

A  third  (a  terrible  character  this  one,  and  well  known  ;  the 
last  person  from  whom  wc  should  have  expected  such  language) 
said, "  When  in  Sapuma  I  saw  my  brother-in-bondago,  iMolonda, 
declare  himself  for  the  Lord,  it  had  such  an  effect  upon  me 
that  I  fled  into  the  forest,  and  there  I  wept  and  cried  like  a 
child.  '  IMatengenya  is  very  bad,'  I  said  to  myself  :  '  it  is  true  ; 
he  is  an  adulterer,  a  thief,  a  liar ;  everybody  despises  him.'  Is 
he  therefore  too  bad  for  Jesus  to  save  him  ?  No.  He  came  to 
seek  and  to  save  the  lost.  They  told  me  so.  I  laughed  at  it ; 
now  I  believe  it." 

Then  tliere  was  another  ;  then  yet  another, — ten  altogether  ; 


6l8  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

eleven,  counting  one  of  our  Mamboe  guides,  a  man  whose 
hair  is  turning  grey.  This  mighty  hunter  of  hippopotami, 
astonished  us  at  first  by  the  eagerness  with  which  he  Hstened 
to  what  we  were  saying  about  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  the  fire  with 
which  he  transmitted  to  others  what  he  had  grasped.  "  It 
cannot  be,"  we  thought,  "  that  he  is  nothing  but  a  speaking- 
trumpet,  giving  out  all  and  keeping  nothing.  What  a  powerful 
evangelist  the  grace  of  God  might  make  of  him  in  these  dark 
regions!"  He,  too,  declared  himself  for  the  Lord.  In  the 
night,  the  current  carried  off  his  canoe  ;  he  left  us  to  seek  it, 
and  we  saw  no  more  of  him.  But  if  he  holds  on,  we  shall 
often  sec  him  at  Lealuyi,  in  spite  of  the  distance.^ 

Finally,  there  was  a  twelfth.  Yes,  indeed  !  a  dear,  interesting 
young  man  for  whom  we  had  intensely  wrestled  in  prayer.  He 
was  there  beside  me,  trembling  in  every  limb  and  ill-controlling 
his  emotion,  his  head  hidden  in  his  hands.  I  waited  for  him, 
but  he  said  nothing.  After  the  meeting,  he  sent  word  to  me 
that  he  "  could  hold  out  no  longer,"  and  that  he  must  declare 
himself  to-morrow.  He  did  not  do  so  ;  courage  failed  him  : 
the  next  day  it  was  still  to-niorroiv.  He  has  not  yet  done  it, 
alas !  and  to-day,  for  him,  it  is  still  to-morrow. 

It  was  on  Saturday,  June  15th,  that  we  joyfully  re-entered 
Lealuyi,  happy  to  find  ourselves  once  more  with  the  dear 
Adolphes  ;  and  once  more  to  see  Lewanika,  our  young  men, 
and  everybody  else  ;  and  filled  with  gratitude  to  God,  Whose 
good  hand  had  visibly  been  upon  us  during  the  whole  of  this 
six  weeks'  voyage. 

The  next  day,  at  morning  service,  the  church  was  full. 
Mokwae  of  Nalolo  was  on  a  visit.  Those  who  profess  to  have 
found  the  Lord  Jesus  during  the  voyage  rose,  and  once  again 
individually  declared  they  desired  to  follow  and  serve  Him. 
But  of  these  ten,  two  were  not  there ;  they  had  turned  back, 
and  one,  I  fear,  for  ever.     May  the  others  persevere  ! 

"  Whoso  is  wise,  and  will  observe  these  things,  even  they 
shall  understand  the  loving-kindness  of  the  Lord  "  (Ps.  cvii.  43). 
June  1S95. 

I  By  river  373  miles. 


CHAPTER   XXXIX 

Serious  Illness — A  Journey  South — Levvanika's  Farewell — Death  of  Seonyi — 
MM.  Gibbons,  Reid,  and  Bertrand — A  Retrospect — A  Grave  in  the 
Wilderness— Bulavvayo— A  Contrast— A  Forecast — The  Matabele 
Rising— The  Rinderpest— Mafcking — Kinibcrley — Cape  Colony— The 
Dutch  Mission — The  Dniminond  Castle — Farewell  to  Africa. 

Kazungula,  December  \2th,  1895. 

I  MUST  send  you  a  few  lines,  or  you  will  be  thinking  me 
much  worse  than  I  am.  But  I  am  ill :  I  have  told  you 
of  it.  I  have  long  been  fighting  against  it,  but  the  complaint 
increases,  and  imposes  on  me  the  duty  of  leaving  the  country, 
so  as  not  to  be  a  burden  to  my  friends. 

When  I  started  on  my  journey  towards  the  Sources  of  the 
Zambesi,  I  was  even  then  suffering  very  much,  but  I  did  not 
wish  to  confess,  even  to  myself,  the  gravity  of  my  condition,  and 
hoped  that  the  rest  and  change  of  air  would  bring  about  an 
improvement.  But  no  !  On  my  return,  the  trouble  got  worse, 
to  such  a  point  that  the  question  of  a  journey  to  Europe  forcibly 
imposed  itself  It  had  long  haunted  me  ;  but  I  always  regarded 
it  unwillingly,  and  with  a  feeling  akin  to  terror. 

It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  we  held  our  Conference 
at  Lcaluyi  in  September.  I  greatly  rejoiced  at  being  able  to 
accommodate  all  my  colleagues  at  my  table.  Not  only  did  they 
all  attend  with  their  wives  (except  M.  and  Mme.  Boiteux,  who 
had  but  recently  arrived,  and  remained  at  Kazungula),  but  we 
also  enjoyed  the  rare  privilege  of  a  visitor's  society — Captain 
Alfred  Bertrand,  of  Geneva  (so  well  known  in  Switzerland  for 
his  travels  round  the  world),  who  brought  us  a  breath  from  his 
own  mountains,  and  a  spark  of  that  ardent  life  which  glows  in 
his  own  city.  Rarely  have  I  ever  seen  a  Christian  visitor  take 
such  an  interest  as  he  did  in  our  work.  He  so  initiated  himself 
into  ever}-  detail  of  station  life — the  schools,  the  Ickhotlda,  public 

6iy 


620  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

worship,  house-to-house  visiting — that  we  came  to  consider  him 
absohitely  as  one  of  ourselves,  and  he  took  part  in  our  discussions 
and  our  home  Hfe,  just  as  he  felt  inclined.  And  when,  on  his 
departure,  I  asked  him  not  to  forget  either  our  Barotsi  or  our 
work,  I  felt  that  this  man  had  given  us  a  part  of  himself. 
Others  will  speak  of  his  achievements  :  of  himself  we  can  never 
say  too  much. 

But  I  was  scarcely  ever  able  to  appear  at  meals  with  my 
friends — at  those  love-feasts,  so  long  looked  forward  to ;  and  it 
was  only  nailed  to  my  bed  that  I  was  able  to  preside  over  our 
sessions  and  take  part  in  our  deliberations.  Moreover,  my 
colleagues  themselves  insisted  that  I  should  start  for  Europe, 
as  soon  as  ever  it  was  possible.  Hence,  I  could  no  longer 
hesitate,  and  arranged  to  leave  as  soon  as  possible  with  the 
Louis  Jallas,  who  were  returning  home  on  furlough. 

I  earnestly  wished  to  visit  the  village  at  least  for  one  last 
time :  this  desire  of  my  heart  was  not  granted — a  disappoint- 
ment so  much  the  more  bitter  as  I  could  not  receive  visitors 
except  very  rarely.  I  had  the  sad  satisfaction  of  an  interview 
with  Andreas,  my  poor  prodigal  son.  He  will  return,  I  am 
confident,  and  his  confessions  strengthen  this  confidence ;  but 
for  the  moment  he  is  still  feeding  the  swine  and  envying  their 
husks.  The  king,  who  came  to  see  me  pretty  often,  said  to 
me  one  day,  "  Ah !  if  I  am  not  converted  yet,  it  is  not  your 
fault.  You  have  given  yourself  no  rest,  but  you  did  not  give 
me  any  either."  And  later  on,  as  we  were  about  to  cross  the 
river,  he  sent  to  let  me  know  that  he  had  dismissed  two  of  his 
wives,  giving  me  to  understand  that  this  was  to  be  the  prelude 
to  dispersing  his  whole  harem.  He  was  just  "  flying  a  kite," 
I  suppose,  to  see  which  way  the  wind  blew — what  sort  of 
sensation  a  radical  measure  would  produce  among  the  chiefs 
and  the  nation  generally.  In  my  reply,  I  conjured  him  not 
to  bargain  with  God  any  longer,  but  to  give  himself  frankly 
and  fully.     Pray  for  him  ! 

On  October  30th,  three  years  after  my  arrival,  almost  to  the 
day,  I  left  Lealuyi,  the  anthill  of  Loatile,  which  has  grown  so 
dear  to  me,  and,  borne  on  a  litter,  I  started,  quite  alone,  for 
Sefula.  The  Adolphe  Jallas,  who  wished  to  accompany  me 
part  of  the  way,  were  to  leave  the  day  after,  and  wait  for 
me    at    Nalolo.     The   journey  was  a  dreary   and    painful    one. 


1^5]  LEAVINC.    LKALUYI  62 1 

It  was  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  I  found  myself  slung 
like  this  on  a  mattress,  which  the  porters  jolted  at  every 
step.  And  then  the  litter  broke  and  had  to  be  mended 
several  times  ;  night  fell,  and  with  it  a  violent  thunderstorm  ; 
the  waggon,  which  had  gone  on  ahead  of  us,  had  stuck  in  the 
sand  some  way  off.  It  was  midnight  when  we  reached  the 
station  :  there  were  no  lights  in  the  windows — no  one  was 
expecting  us — and  who  was  there  to  expect  us,  I  should  like 
to  know?  What  a  desolation!  Let  us  not  speak  of  it.  I 
threw  myself  on  my  bed,  and  writhed  in  agony  till  morning. 
I  spent  two  days  at  Sefula.  Apart  from  my  own  purely 
personal  experiences,  the  farewell  meetings,  very  interesting 
and  numerously  attended,  were  a  ray  of  sunshine  for  me. 

On  the  Saturday  morning,  I  set  out  again  in  my  litter  for 
Nalolo.  But  before  my  doleful  procession  started,  an  express 
messenger  reached  me  from  Adolphe,  His  body  was  streaming 
with  perspiration  ;  his  eyes  were  haggard,  his  voice  hoarse,  his 
lips  trembled.  I  opened  the  note  he  held  out.  What  stunning 
news !  My  boy  Seonyi  had  just  shot  himself  dead  !  Wishing 
to  shoot  some  ducks  for  me,  he  pulled  his  gun  out  of  the 
baggage  pile  by  the  muzzle,  and  of  course,  according  to  the 
incorrigible  custom  of  all  the  South  African  natives,  it  was 
loaded  and  cocked.  A  jerk  fired  it  off,  and  the  unhappy 
lad  received  the  whole  charge  in  the  temple.  What  a  cloud 
over  the  beginning  of  this  journey,  which  everything  had  already 
conspired  to  make  so  sad  ! 

The  dear  Adolphe  Jallas  first,  and  then  the  Goys  and  Louis 
Jallas,  lavished  every  care  upon  me  that  affection  could  prompt. 
Still,  to  be  ill,  alone  and  without  enlightened  medical  treatment 
in  a  country  like  this,  is  very  painful.  God  is  merciful  to  His 
children,  and  He  was  to  me  ;  for,  besides  the  friends  I  have 
named.  He  let  me  discover  among  my  boys,  not  merely  an 
affection  I  was  already  well  aware  of,  but  also  a  devotion  I 
had  never  imagined  could  exist,  but  which  has  never  faltered. 
Semonji  especially  proved  himself  an  admirable  nurse,  foreseeing 
or  guessing  my  wants,  devising  all  sorts  of  means  to  tempt  my 
appetite  and  cheer  my  sick-room,  and  doing  it  all  eagerly, 
cheerfully,  yet  noiselessly.  He  never  left  me,  night  or  day. 
What  should  I  ever  have  done  without  him  ?  What  should 
I  ever  have  done  if  he  had  wearied  of  my  service?     He  implored 


622  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1895 

me  not  to  leave  him  behind  me  ;  and  if  I  go  to  Europe,  he  shall 
go  too.  I  know  it  is  a  great  risk,  but  I  seem  to  see  God's  hand 
in  it  so  clearly  that  I  have  no  fears.  As  to  my  poor  Nyondo, 
he  is  married,  so  there  can  be  no  question  of  taking  him.  And 
besides,  we  are  counting  upon  him  for  evangelisation.  Poor 
boy !  every  time  my  departure  was  talked  about,  he  laid  his 
head  on  his  knees,  and  burst  into  tears.^ 

I  have  been  three  weeks  at  Kazungula,  waiting  for  the 
waggon  which  was  bringing  my  baggage  from  the  Valley.  Here, 
I  met  Captain  Gibbons,  a  member  of  an  interesting  expedition 
about  which  I  must  say  a  word  or  two.  It  was  composed  of 
Mr.  Reid  from  London,  Captain  Alfred  Bertrand  of  Geneva,  and 
himself,  an  officer  of  the  British  army.  This  was  Mr.  Reid's 
third  or  fourth  journey  in  our  Zambesi  regions.  We  had  met 
him  in  1885,  at  the  moment  when  our  expedition  had  just 
crossed  the  river.  He  was  then  hunting  hippopotami.  A 
typical  English  gentleman,  full  of  good  humour  and  good  spirits, 
it  was  an  immense  pleasure  to  have  him  at  our  modest  table 
and  under  our  straw  roof.  Singular  to  say,  he  was  accompanied 
by  some  Batoka  boys  who  had  been  in  our  service,  and  during 
the  meal  he  called  us  to  admire  the  melodies  they  were  singing 
in  their  camp,  which  wc  had  ourselves  taught  them  at  Leshoma 
years  before.  He  of  course  had  no  idea  where  they  had  learnt 
them.     So  the  seed  was  not  quite  lost  after  all. 

It  was  at  the  capital  that  we  met  him  again  with  Captain 
Bertrand,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoken.  Since  then,  they  had 
been  exploring  the  course  of  the  Machile,  a  little  tributary  of 
the  Zambesi,  and  accomplished  work  which  they  will  doubtless 
bring  before  the  public  and  the  Geographical  Societies  of  London 
and  Paris.  I  did  not  see  them  again  at  Kazungula  ;  they  had 
already  started  for  Europe.  Captain  Gibbons  had  remained. 
He  had  set  himself  the  task,  for  which  no  one  could  be  better 

'  Setnonji,  one  of  the  school-pupils,  must  not  be  confounded  with  Semonja, 
an  important  chief,  already  mentioned  several  times.  Semonji,  after  Mme. 
Coillard's  death,  was  one  of  the  first  to  show  that  the  Gospel  had  really 
touched  his  heart;  and  when  M.  Coillard's  illness  became  serious  and  chronic, 
this  boy,  aged  about  sixteen,  constituted  himself  his  nurse,  and  accompanied 
him  to  Europe.  He  was  placed  at  Dr.  Grattan  Guinness's  Training  College 
(Harley  House,  Bow),  where  he  is  now  being  trained  for  an  evangelist-school- 
master— a  career  which  his  character  and  conduct  fully  justify  his  friends 
in  choosing  for  him. 


1S96]  KAZUNGULA  623 

qualified,  of  mapping  out  the  whole  course  of  the  Zambesi. 
Accustomed  to  camp  life  and  military  discipline,  he  made  but 
little — too  little  perhaps — of  the  comforts  of  civilised  life. 
Unfortunately,  he  was  ill,  and  so  was  I.  If  he  could  not  come 
to  meals,  I  dragged  myself  as  far  as  his  tent,  and  exchanged 
good-morning  with  him.  I  felt  very  sorry  for  him,  for  the 
weather  was  rainy,  and  his  tent  was  in  the  mud.  If  he  were 
better,  we  would  converse,  as  far  as  I  was  able,  upon  the  history 
and  customs  of  the  country,  and  criticise  together  the  beautiful 
charts  he  had  already  begun.  What  would  I  not  have  given  to 
be  in  better  health,  and  better  able  to  take  advantage  of  this 
few  days'  intercourse  !  He  has  great  plans  and  noble  ambitions  ; 
he  is  capable  of  enduring  much  and  accomplishing  much,  if 
God  grant  him  health ;  and  that  is  what  I  desire  for  him. 

My  waggon  has  arrived  at  last,  and  in  a  few  days  we  shall 
cross  the  river.  What  a  difference  between  the  passage  to-day 
and  that  of  1884 !  Then,  not  a  soul  in  that  immense  region  knew 
even  the  Name  of  the  Lord,  not  oqe  prayed  to  Him.  Divided 
into  two  bands  during  the  transport  of  our  goods,  we  used  to 
answer  each  other  from  one  bank  to  the  other,  at  the  evening 
bivouac,  by  singing  "  Tlo7ig  ho  Yesu  "  ("  Come  to  Jesus  "),  and 
our  voices  lost  themselves  in  the  desert  without  an  echo. 

To-day,  let  us  acknowledge  it  to  His  glory,  ''the  Lord  hath 
done  great  things."  This  very  station  of  Kazungula,  with  its 
great  village,  where  everything  is  so  prosperous,  testifies  to 
that.  We  reckon  five  flourishing  stations,  and  on  each  of 
them  a  greater  or  lesser  number  of  Zambesians  who  profess 
to  have  found  the  Lord.  To-day,  they  are  praying  here  and 
singing  the  praises  of  God. 

BuLAWAYO,  January  1896. 

Our  journey  to  Kazungula  had  been  exceptionally  easy  ;  but 
once  we  had  left  it,  our  track  was  nothing  but  one  frightful 
quagmire,  where  our  oxen  sank  to  their  bellies,  often  without 
foothold  to  give  them  the  slightest  purchase  on  the  waggons  ; 
and  the  latter  were  continually  collapsing,  all  four  wheels  at 
once.  Twenty-one  days  after  leaving  Kazungula,  a  distance  of 
only  three  days'  march  had  been  accomplished.  So,  suffering 
exhaustion,  eating  little  and  sleeping  less,  I  often  wondered  if 


624  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1896 

I  should  live  to  the  end  of  this  journey,  so  extraordinarily 
adventurous  and  laborious  as  it  was. 

But  who  can  weary  of  repeating  that  the  Lord  is  good  and 
faithful  ?  How  His  presence  lightens  our  darkness  !  It  is  then 
that  He  teaches  us  "  songs  in  the  night,"  so  that  even  the  slime- 
pits  and  solitudes  of  the  desert  are  changed  into  so  many  Bethels. 

Between  Pata-matenga  and  Bulawayo,  the  journey  was  much 
less  difficult.  When  we  quitted  the  Palapye  road,  we  left 
the  deep  sands  behind,  and  travelled  over  firm  ground.  The 
country  is  wooded,  with  clearings  here  and  there.  But  it  is 
always  the  biisJi,  whose  thorny  thickets  obstruct  the  path,  and 
wage  war  upon  our  waggon-tilts.  There  is  nothing,  absolutely 
nothing,  in  the  arborescence  to  remind  us  that  we  are  in  the 
tropics. 

From  Pata-matenga  (a  heap  of  hovels,  turned  into  a  farm) 
as  far  as  Bulawayo,  a  distance  of  about  three  hundred  miles,  we 
did  not  meet  a  living  soul,  except  for  a  few  Masaroa  (Bushmen), 
who  wander  in  these  woods.  What  is  the  future  of  this  country  ? 
Will  it  ever  be  inhabited,  colonised  ? 

At  present,  the  deathlike  silence,  unbroken  save  by  the 
creaking  of  our  waggons  and  the  crack  of  our  whips,  brooding 
over  these  immensities  of  space,  seems  to  breathe  an  indefinable 
spell.     One  feels  a  mere  atom,  impotent  and  lost. 

One  day,  as  we  were  going  along  through  a  little  green  valley 
between  low  wooded  hills,  we  all  halted  as  if  involuntarily  before 
an  isolated  tree,  at  the  foot  of  which  a  thorn  hedge  encircled  a 
tomb.  On  the  trunk,  some  friendly  hand  had  removed  a  square 
of  bark,  and  roughly  traced  this  epitaph  : — 

STUART 

5    JAN.    1895 

He  was,  it  seems,  a  captain  in  the  English  army,  full  of 
energy  and  love  of  adventure,  who,  after  having  been  quartered 
at  Natal,  was  going  back  to  his  native  land.  But  before  leaving 
Africa,  he  wanted  to  see  the  Victoria  Falls.  He  set  off  quite 
alone,  with  one  or  two  native  porters,  and  reached  his  goal. 
On  the  way  back,  he  was  attacked  by  fever.  Tortured  with 
thirst  and  forsaken  by  his  boys,  he  lay  down  under  this  tree  and 
died  there.     A  passer-by,  or  some  one  who  had  heard  of  his  fate, 


1896]  THE   LOST   LEGION  625 

came  and  buried  him.  And  do  not  tliink  that  is  an  isolated 
case.  Far  from  it.  Many  sad  stories  are  told  about  English 
officers,  young  men  of  good  family,  all  full  of  life  and  impetuosity, 
dreaming  of  nothing  but  adventures  in  this  land  of  liberty,  but 
utterly  devoid  of  prudence :  they  start  off  hunting,  quite  alone, 
lose  themselves  in  the  woods,  and  end  by  dying  of  thirst.  There 
they  sleep,  their  names  and  resting-places  alike  unknown,  until 
the  Resurrection  Day. 

As  the  deer  breaks — as  the  steer  breaks — from  the  herd  where  they  graze, 

In  the  faith  of  little  children  we  went  on  our  ways. 

Then  the  wood  failed — then  the  food  failed — then  the  last  water  dried — 

In  the  faith  of  little  children  we  lay  down  and  died. 

On  the  sand-drift — on  the  veldt-side — in  the  fern-scrub  we  lay, 

That  our  sons  might  follow  after,  by  the  boues  on  the  way. 


It  was  on  the  15th  [February  1896]  that  we  at  last  reached 
Bulawayo.^  I  cannot  describe  the  attentions  and  kindnesses 
with  which  I  was  surrounded.  The  authorities  of  the  town 
came  to  visit  me,  and  arranged  with  the  doctor  to  urge  my 
staying  two  or  three  months  at  the  hospital  as  their  guest, 
until  the  latter  thought  me  well  enough  to  continue  my  painful 
journey.  Every  one,  to  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  who  have  the 
direction  of  the  hospital,  lavished  care  upon  me  with  a  devotion 
which  touched  me  deeply,  and  did  me  real  good.  And  among 
the  little  number  of  personal  friends  I  found  there,  was  young 
Howard  Moffat,  who  seemed  as  though  he  could  not  do 
enough  for  me.  He  spared  neither  his  time  nor  his  trouble  nor 
his  money  to  provide  comforts  for  his  father's  friend,  and  the 
disciple,  not  to  say  the  admirer,  of  his  grandfather,  Dr.  Moffat 
of  venerable  memory. 

This  was  the  spot,  you  remember,  where,  eighteen  years  ago, 
Lobengula  held  us  prisoners.  What  changes  since  then  !  Here 
is  a  town  laid  out  on  an  immense  scale,  which  promises  to 
become  another  Johannesburg.  You  would  be  astonished  at 
the  price  of  land,  and  that  of  provisions  generally.  And  the 
life  one  leads  there,  little  as  you  would  believe  it,  is  as  agitated, 

'  The  proper  phonetic  spelling  of  Bulawayo  and  Matabele  is  Rulawayo 
and  Matcbele.  They  have  been  left  unchanced  in  the  te.xt,  so  as  not  to 
confuse  the  English  reader. 

40 


626  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1896 

as  busy,  as  in  London.  There  is  no  time  to  see  or  talk  quietly 
with  anybody.  It  is  an  incessant  whirl.  The  site  of  the  town 
covers  a  vast  flat  space,  surrounded  by  lightly  wooded  rising 
crround,  and  already  sprinkled  with  villas.      What  will  Bulawayo 

be  in  twenty  years  ? 

****** 

But  before  we  left,  dark  clouds  were  mounting  on  the  horizon, 
sullen  rumblings  of  thunder  were  heard,  and  soon  a  violent  storm 
burst.  It  was  that  second  Matabele  war  which  during  so  many 
months  held  England  in  suspense. 

The  Chartered  Company's  Government,  sure  of  having  finally 
crushed  the  Matabele  as  a  nation,  and  of  having  for  ever  destroyed 
their  military  power  and  prestige,  had  irritated  them  by  con- 
fiscating their  remaining  cattle  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  war. 
(For  alas  !  we  know  too  well  that  it  is  the  vanquished  who  have 
to  pay  the  cost  of  their  own  disasters  and  humiliation !)  And 
among  the  African  natives,  to  take  away  the  cattle  of  one's 
enemies  is  always  a  provocation,  and  a  declaration  of  war  in 
itself.  Then  came  the  adventurous  undertaking  of  Dr.  Jameson, 
followed  by  his  check  and  captivity,  which  was  sounded  far  and 
wide  among  them.  No  more  was  needed  to  turn  the  heads  of 
these  exasperated  savages.  They  held  secret  palavers  to  hatch 
rebellion.  But  rumours  of  them  reached  the  Europeans  ;  they 
were  even  discussed  when  I  was  in  Bulawayo  ;  the  authorities 
themselves  were  not  in  ignorance ;  only,  no  one  believed  it  was 
serious.     We  all  know  the  rest ;  it  is  contemporary  history. 

The  country,  too,  like  all  those  in  these  intertropical  latitudes, 
had  been  visited  by  several  scourges,  from  which  it  was  still 
suffering.  A  few  years  ago,  it  was  the  small-pox  which  had 
decimated  the  population.  Now,  it  was  the  locusts,  who  disputed 
with  the  inhabitants  the  scanty  harvest  which  had  survived  the 
great  drought. 

But  a  far  more  general  plague  than  the  small-pox,  and  a  much 
more  terrible  one  than  the  locusts,  suddenly  made  its  appearance, 
and  dogged  our  steps.     This  was  the  rinderpest. 

No  one  who  has  not  lived  in  Africa  can  form  the  least  idea 
of  this  awful  calamity.  It  mowed  down  the  whole  bovine  race 
in  its  passage.  Hundreds  of  carcasses  lay  here  and  there,  on 
the  roadside,  or  piled  up  in  the  fields.  In  vain  did  the  natives 
gorge  themselves,  careless  of  the  consequences.     In  vain   did 


1896]  THE   RINDERPEST  627 

legions  of  vultures  and  beasts  of  prey  gather  to  devour  them. 
They  could  not  overtJike  the  quantity,  and  the  carrion  lay  there, 
putrefying  everywhere.  More  than  nine  hundred  waggons, 
loaded  with  merchandise,  without  teams  or  drivers,  stood 
abandoned  along  the  Bulawayo  road.  In  a  few  weeks — a  few 
months,  let  us  say — I  -im  assured  that  eight  hundred  thousand 
head  of  cattle — some  say  nine  hundred  thousand — perished  in 
Khama's  tribe  alone. 

Never  within  the  memory  of  man  had  such  a  thing  been 
seen.  The  Government  grasped  the  situation  from  the  beginning. 
But  in  spite  of  all  the  sanitary  cordons,  and  the  severest  pre- 
ventive measures,  the  ;;courge  pursued  its  course  relentlessly. 
After  sweeping  over  the  Zambesi  countries  and  those  of  the 
Matabele  and  Bechuana,  the  Transvaal  and  the  Orange  r""rce 
State,  it  has  penetrated  into  Basuto-land  and  Cape  Colony,  and 
still  goes  on,  spreading  consternation  and  ruin. 

Wars,  drought,  famine,  pestilence,  locusts,  cattle-plague  ! 
Why  so  many  calamities  in  succession?  Why?  Ah!  without 
prying  into  the  secret  designs  of  Providence,  may  we  not  ask 
ourselves  if  by  these  solemn  warnings  the  Almighty  is  recalling 
Himself  to  a  generation  that  is  forgetting  Him?  Let  us  draw 
nigh  to  God,  and  He  vvill  draw  nigh  to  us.  Let  us  cleanse  our 
hands  and  purify  oui  hearts.  Let  us  humble  ourselves  in  the 
sight  of  God,  and  He  shall  lift  us  up.  He  will  bring  good  out 
of  evil  and  light  out  of  darkness. 

Even  from  the  economic  point  of  view,  the  dark  cloud  will 
have  its  silver  lining.  The  black  lace,  and  the  great  majority  of 
farmers,  all  those  whose  chief  wealth  consisted  in  horned  cattle, 
are  ruined.  May  we  not  reasonably  believe  that  honest  and 
honoured  vv'ork,  agriculture  and  industry,  will  receive  a  fresh 
impulse,  and  will  thus  open  up  new  sources  of  wealth  ?  Rail- 
ways are  now  a  necessity.  Already  the  one  which  starts  from 
Cape  Town  is  rapidly  advancing  towards  the  interior.  By  the 
end  of  1897  it  will  have  reached  Bulawayo,  while  that  of  Beira 
will  come  as  far  as  Salisbury.     And  then  ? 

As  for  the  Louis  Jallas  and  myself,  we  can  only  bless  God 
and  adore  His  ways.  A  fortnight's  delay  on  our  journey,  and 
we  should  have  found  ourselves,  even  before  reaching  Bulawayo, 
in  the  midst  of  the  rinderpest,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  war — 
stopped  short,  no  matter  where,  finding  it  impossible  to  move 


628  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1896 

and  at  the  mercy  of  these  terrible  Matabelc,  for  whom  brigandage 
and  massacre  are  pleasure  trips. 

"  The  good  hand  of  our  God  was  upon  us."  Everywhere  along 
our  way,  we  found  friends,  who  overwhelmed  us  with  kindness. 
There  was  the  noble  chief  Khama,  whose  friendship  (now  of 
twenty  years'  standing)  has  always  been  so  precious  to  me, 
and  whom  I  found  totally  unchanged  and  unspoilt  by  his  visit  to 
England.  How  delighted  he  was  to  tell  me  about  all  the  wonders 
he  had  seen  and  the  kindness  he  had  received  !  But  next  to  his 
audience  of  the  Queen,  his  most  vivid  and  agreeable  recollection 
was  of  the  evening  he  spent  at  Mr.  Chamberlain's  house, 
witnessing  conjuring  tricks. 

Then,  too,  there  were  the  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Willoughby  (L.M.S.) 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williams,  and  also  the  magistrate  of 
Gaberones,  Mr.  Surmon,  an  old  Basuto-land  acquaintance,  who 
in  this  time  of  difficulty  and  distress,  and  for  him  of  heavy 
work,  placed  his  carriage  and  mule  team  at  my  service  for 
several  days,  in  order  to  convey  me  to  Mafeking,  then  the 
terminus  of  the  railway.^  Neither  can  I  forget  the  kindness 
I  received  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Speight. 

My  young  Zambesians  opened  their  eyes  indeed,  when  they 
entered  a  real  railway  carriage  for  the  first  time.  And  when 
the  train  moved  off,  they  gasped  with  astonishment.  "  But, 
my  father,  they  haven't  even  inspanned  the  oxen  yet ! "  It  was 
a  night  journey,  and  lasted  till  morning  ;  but  the  boys  never 
closed  an  eye. 

At  Kimbcrley,   I  was  soon  installed  at  the  hospital,  on  the 

'  At  Palapye  the  tpavellers  disposed  of  their  teams  and  conveyances.  M.  L. 
Jalla  hired  two  waggons  for  the  rest  of  the  journey,  and  taking  M.  Coillard's 
baggage,  followed  the  main  transport  road.  A  few  miles  north  of  Mafeking, 
however,  the  travellers  were  stopped  at  the  quarantine  station,  and  their 
ox-teams  shot  down  on  the  road,  for  fear  of  the  rinderpest.  Their  waggons, 
of  course,  had  to  remain  in  siht,  along  with  hundreds  of  others  ;  and  the 
contents,  embracing  all  M.  Coillard's  property,  were  put  in  charge  of  a  trader 
at  one  of  the  wayside  "  stores,"  but  during  the  Matabele  war  the  cases  went 
astray.  Through  the  energy  and  kindness  of  Mr.  Whiteley,  the  merchant 
whose  name  has  so  often  been  mentioned  in  these  pages,  three  have  been 
recovered  ;  but  the  rest,  it  is  to  be  feared,  have  been  hopelessly  lost,  with  their 
contents  :  photographic  negatives,  journals,  notes  of  native  history,  traditions, 
and  customs,  philological  studies,  specimens  of  native  art  and  industry — in 
a  word,  the  accumulations  of  forty  years'  labour  among  various  South  African 
tribes. 


'^96]  CAPE   COLONY  629 

same  terms  as  at  Bulavvayo,  thanks  to  and  under  the  care  of 
Dr.  Mackenzie.  He  is  the  son  of  the  venerable  missionary  of 
that  name,  whom  I  had  long  known.  A  serious  operation  and 
kind  nursing  set  me  on  my  feet  again.  It  was  performed  so 
skilfully  as  to  astonish  one  of  our  most  famous  specialists  in 
Paris,  and  laid  me  under  a  debt  of  profound  gratitude  to 
Dr.  Mackenzie. 

I  must  mention  one  of  my  hospital  souvenirs.  One  day 
the  matron  entered  my  room,  bringing  me  a  potato  on  a  plate  and 
a  rose  in  her  hand.  Yes,  a  rose  !  the  only  one  in  her  garden  ;  a 
potato !  the  most  common — not  to  say  vulgar — of  vegetables  : 
two  things  I  had  not  seen  for  twelve  years  !  How  good  that 
potato  was  ;  and,  still  more,  how  lovely  was  that  rose,  and  how 
sweet  it  smelt !  One  needs  to  have  been  shut  up  oneself  for 
weeks  together,  between  the  four  white  walls  of  a  hospital  ward, 
to  enter  into  it.  And  when  I  saw  the  bouquet  .sent  me  every 
day  by  a  lady  I  scarcely  knew,  this  message  of  affection  went 
straight  to  my  heart.  Now  I  can  appreciate  the  "  Flower 
Mission  "  for  the  hospitals,  which  I  always  admired.  God  bless 
the  Flower  Mission ! 

Being  too  weak  to  bear  the  fatigue  oi  a  visit  to  Basuto-land, 
I  had  to  give  it  up,  to  my  great  regret.  Thirty-seven  hours 
by  rail  brought  me  to  the  Cape.  At  Wellington,  I  was  present 
at  what  is  called  the  "  South  African  Keswick,"  and  spent,  in  the 
home  of  Mr.  Andrew  Murray,  and  that  of  his  brother-in-law, 
the  venerable  Dutch  pastor  Mr.  Neethling,  at  Stellenbosch,  some 
of  those  days  one  can  never  forget.  There  I  met  Mr.  Dudley 
Kidd,  of  the  South  Africa  General  Mission,  and  my  venerable 
friend  Mr.  R.  C.  Morgan,  of  the  Christian.  It  was  Mr.  Neethling 
who  started  among  his  colleagues,  the  pastors  of  the  Dutch 
Church,  a  subscription  of  i^i  a  piece  to  procure  a  carriage  for 
me,  and  they  responded  so  cordially  that  he  was  able  to  remit 
the  sum  of  ;^ii5  to  me  for  this  purpose. 

A  souvenir  and  a  contrast !  Forty  years  ago,  I  landed  at 
the  Cape.  The  Synod  of  the  South  African  Dutch  Church  was 
in  session  there  at  the  time.  What  prejudices  then  against 
the  natives,  against  missions  and  missionaries  !  And  yet  even 
then,  one  saw  the  first  gleams  of  a  new  dawn.  In  this  Synod 
there  was  one  small  group  of  men  who  possessed  the  sacred  fire, 
and  who  were  urging  the  Church  in  the  direction  of  missions 


630  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1896 

Mr.  Andrew  Murray  was  one.  From  the  different  congregations, 
they  had  obtained  money,  but  not  men.  Dr.  Robertson,  pastor 
of  Swellcndam,  was  sent  to  Scotland.  To  his  powerful  appeals, 
two  young  men  responded, — a  Scotchman,  Mr.  MacKidd,  who 
died  shortly  after  ;  and  a  young  Swiss,  M.  Gonin,  who  was 
completing  his  studies  in  Edinburgh  at  the  time.  They  were 
accepted  ;  and  a  third  joined  them  in  Africa — a  young  Boer, 
Mr.  Hofmeyr,  full  of  zeal  and  devotion  as  they  were.  They 
founded  their  first  mission  to  the  north  of  Lhe  Transvaal.  Later 
on,  a  second  was  planted  among  those  very  BanyaT  whose 
needs  we  had  made  known ;  and,  finally,  a  third,  side  by 
side  and  in  perfect  harmony  with  that  ot  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  at  Lake  Nyassa. 

The  Murray  family,  which  is  in  South  Africa  what  that  of 
the  Monods  is  in  France,  has  already  given  five  or  six  of  its 
members  to  these  different  missions.  One  of  them  I  must 
mention,  Willie  Neethling,  whose  bright  career,  already  richly 
blessed,  was  so  soon  to  be  interrupted  by  his  tragic  death. 
He  was  the  son  of  Mr.  Neethling,  of  Steilenbosch,  whose  wife 
is  the  Rev.  Andrew  Murray's  sister.  I  had  met  him  near 
Mafeking.  He  was  then  newly  ordained,  and  on  his  way  to 
occupy  his  first  mission  station,  at  MochuH  (Linchwe's  place), 
accompanied  by  his  sister  ;  and  was,  like  myself,  stopped  by  the 
rinderpest.  He,  full  of  ardent  life— myself,  apparently,  upon  a 
dying-bed.  In  the  following  February  [1^97],  during  a  furious 
hurricane,  part  of  the  roof  of  his  church  had  fallen  upon  him,  and 
he  only  survived  a  few  hours. 

We  who  are  left  behind  stand  painfully  perplexed  at  seeing 
these  young  lives,  so  full  of  promise,  cut  short  at  the  beginning. 
Do  we  question  God's  wisdom  ?  Not  so  did  he.  "  God  makes 
710  mistakes,"  he  kept  repeating  with  his  dying  breath.  "  He 
is  good — so  good.     Never  doubt  His  love." 

His  mother  wrote  to  me,  "  I  received  the  news  on  Saturday. 
The  next  day  was  the  first  anniversary  of  his  ordination. 
I  was  going  to  church,  not  for  that  ceremony,  but  to  celebrate 
his  coronation ;  for  well  I  know  his  Lord  will  crown  him  with 
eternal  joy." 

We  feel  humbled  and  stimulated  by  the  spectacle  of  this 
ardent  youth,  so  absolutely,  so  joyfully  surrendered  ;  and  of  this 
mother,  whose  serene  faith,  shining  through  her  tears,  counts  it 


1896]  THE   "DRUMMOND   CASTLE"  63 1 

an  honour  to  give  a  beloved  son  to  his  Saviour,  to  the  heathen, 
and  to  death.  Be  it  far  from  us,  the  faithless  whisper  of  a 
Judas,  "  To  what  purpose  is  this  waste?  "  Nothing  is  lost  which 
is  offered  to  God,  and  which  God  accepts — not  even  the  perfume 
of  this  short  but  beautiful  life,  poured  out  to  Him. 

To  us,  all  this  is  a  sign  of  the  breaking  down  of  former 
prejudices :  we  are  looking  forward  to  a  time  of  blessing  for  the 
South  African  Dutch  Church,  the  sister  of  our  own,  and  through 
it  to  the  dawn  of  a  new  day  for  heathen  Africa. 

Feeling  now  so  much  better — indeed,  quite  well — a  terrible 
temptation  .seized  me  to  go  back  to  the  Zambesi.  But  how? 
The  rinderpest  and  the  Matabele  war  together  made  it  impos- 
sible !     So  I  embarked. 

At  that  season,  all  the  steamboats  plying  between  London 
and  the  Cape  are  always  full,  the  places  having  been  retained  for 
months  beforehand.  My  friends  hastened  to  secure  a  place  for 
me  on  an  intermediate  steamer,  the  Warwick  Castle.  But  when 
Mr.  Cartwright  discovered  that  I  should  have  to  occupy  a 
second-class  cabin  with  five  other  passengers,  he  did  every- 
thing he  could  to  persuade  me  to  wait  a  week  longer  and 
start  in  the  Dniimnond  Castle,  and  even  went  to  the  office  to 
change  my  place  ;  but  every  berth  on  the  Druuiniond  Castle 
was  taken. 

As  it  turned  out,  I  had  a  cabin  all  to  myself;  there  were 
but  few  passengers,  and  among  them  there  were  a  good  many 
Afrikander  Christians  from  the  Paarl,  with  whom  we  had  daily 
worship  and  happy  intercourse.  The  weather  was  superb,  the 
sea  calm,  and  the  voyage  as  enjoyable  as  heart  could  wish. 

But  we  had  only  been  a  few  days  on  shore,  when  we  heard 
the  appalling  news  of  the  wreck  of  the  Druimnond  Castle 
at  midnight  off  the  coast  of  Ushant.  Only  three  lives  were 
saved  ! 

Sympathy  can  scarcely  find  expression  in  the  presence  of 
so  awful  a  calamity  and  so  many  tears.  May  these  sorrowing 
ones  find  in  Jesus — Himself  the  Man  of  Sorrows — the  rest  and 
comfort  of  their  hearts  ! 

As  for  myself,  how  should  I  not  pause  to  consider  and  try 
to  comprehend  the  voice  of  my  God  !  After  a  career  of  forty 
years,  so  chequered,  and  so  full  of  adventures,  dangers,  and  trials, 
but  also  of  deliverances  and  blessings,  brought  back  so  rccentl)' 


632  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1896 

from  the  brink  of  the  grave,  escaped  from  the  ravages  of  the 
rinderpest  and  the  massacres  of  the  Matabele,  rescued  as  it  were 
from  shipwreck,  and  given  back  as  by  a  miracle  to  the  health 
which  I  no  longer  even  hoped  for,  I  ask  myself  if  it  be  not  that 
my  Master  still  has  something  for  me  to  do,  whether  in  Europe 
or  in  Africa. 


CONCLUSION 

AFRICA  has  had  her  vaHant  missionary  pioneers,  English 
and  American,  German  and  French — men  whose  names 
we,  their  successors,  can  only  pronounce  with  profound  venera- 
tion. "  There  were  giants  in  those  days."  One  of  them, 
M.  Arbousset,  when  he  first  set  foot  on  African  soil,  beheld  the 
mighty  ramparts  of  Table  Mountain  towering  above  him.  To 
his  eyes  it  symbolised  the  power  of  that  paganism  he  had  come 
to  attack  in  the  name  of  his  God  ;  and  he  exclaimed,  "  Who 
art  thou,  O  great  mountain  ?  before  Zerubbabcl  thou  shalt 
become  a  plain.''  ^ 

And  as,  leaving  this  land  of  the  negro,  where  I  have  so  long 
laboured  and  suffered,  I  contemplated  that  same  formidable 
pile,  melting  in  the  distance  and  sinking  from  my  sight,  I 
seemed  to  hear  the  voice  of  my  God  above  the  tumult  of 
my  thoughts  and  recollections,  recalling  His  promise,  "  The 
mountains  shall  depart,  and  the  hills  be  removed ;  but  My 
kindness  shall  not  depart  from  thee." 

Yes,  the  promise  has  been  made  good,  "  All  the  promises  of 
God  in  Him  are  Yea,  and  in  Him  Amen."^ 

Pioneer  work  necessarily  bristles  with  difficulties.  Never 
yet  has  the  Gospel  made  a  triumphal  entry  into  any  country 
with  flying  colours  and  by  a  royal  road.  By  the  door  and  the 
dungeon  of  a  prison  it  entered  our  old  Europe  ;  by  the  manger 
of  Bethlehem,  by  the  agony  of  Gethsemane,  by  the  shame  of 
Calvary  and  the  death  of  the  Cross,  it  was  manifested  to  the 
world.  The  Lord  Himself,  in  sending  out  His  di.sciplcs,  did  not 
promise  them  anything  else.     "  Behold,   I   send  you  forth   as 

•  See  Zech.  iv.  6,  7,  H.V.,  "This  is  tlic  wordof  tlie  Lord  unto  Zerubbabel" 
(=  the  scattered  in  Babylon),  and  tlie  parallel  [lassagc  in  Jcr.  li.  24-26. 

*  2  Cor.  i.  20. 

633 


634  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL  AFRICA  [1897 

lambs  among  wolves."  "  They  shall  deliver  you  up  to  be 
afflicted  .  .  .  and  persecuted."  "  Ye  shall  be  hated  of  all 
men."  "  Ye  shall  be  beaten,  and  ye  shall  be  brought  before 
governors  and  kings,  for  My  sake."  "  The  disciple  is  not  above 
his  Master."  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation  :  but  be 
of  good  cheer  ;  I  have  overcome  the  world." 

Such  have  been  our  own  experiences.  Difficulties  have 
often  risen  before  us,  many  and  menacing :  all,  one  by  one, 
never  all  at  once,  have  been  smoothed  away  and  overcome. 
Often  they  have  sprung  up  where  we  least  expected  them. 
But  to  find  ourselves  first  borne  forward  on  a  wave  of  popular 
sympathy,  and  then  misunderstood  and  forsaken  at  the  very 
moment  for  action  by  those  whom  we  esteemed  and  on  whose 
co-operation  we  were  relying,  has  not  been  the  least  among 
them. 

Moreover — will  it  be  believed  ? — the  eclectic  character  of  our 
mission  has  not  opened  to  us  the  doors  of  as  many  hearts  as  one 
would  have  supposed,  and  it  has  closed  many,  both  at  home 
and  abroad.  In  foreign  countries,  in  England  especially,  where 
works  of  every  kind  have  so  greatly  multiplied,  it  is  increasingly 
difficult  to  obtain  a  hearing.  On  the  one  hand,  we  are  regarded 
as  respectable  beggars  ;  on  the  other,  as  wandering  children, 
supported,  loved  even,  but  not  quite  approved  of.  Among 
certain  circles  in  France  to-day,  as  then,  it  is  precisely  the  purely 
evangelistic  nature  of  our  work  with  which  we  are  reproached. 
"  What  national  interests,"  people  ask,  "  have  we  in  Basuto- 
land,  in  Barotsi-land  especially?  Why  do  you  not  speak  to 
us  about  our  own  colonies — about  Mare,  Tahiti,  the  French 
Congo,  and  Senegal  ?  "  To-day,  it  is  Madagascar  which,  like  a 
burning  house,  absorbs  the  attention  of  our  religious  public. 
I  well  understand  it.  How  could  it  be  otherwise,  when  one 
sees  such  a  great  and  noble  work,  one  with  such  a  glorious 
past,  threatened  by  the  intrigues  of  men  whom  France  has 
expelled  from  her  ov/n  borders,  and  for  whom  the  end  justifies 
the  means  ?  But  people  go  further,  and  with  regard  to  Basuto- 
land  some  even  have  not  hesitated  to  pronounce  the  words 
abandon,  exchange.  As  if  one  would  so  lightly  abandon  pros- 
perous gold  or  diamond  mines  for  the  sake  of  exploiting  others 
whose  rightful  owners  have  been  expropriated  by  the  caprice 
of  politics  ! — as  if  one  could  barter  Churches  like  chattels  ;  souls 


»»97]  CONCLUSION  635 

brought  forth  in  such  travail,  reared  at  the  cost  of  so  many 
sacrifices,  families  which  are  bidden  by  the  sacred  bonds  of 
spiritual  kinship  to  cling  to  us.  as  we  to  them  !  And  yet  we, 
we  who  are  still  bearing  the  bitter  loss  of  1871,  are  asked  to 
create  in  the  realm  of  missions  a  parallel  to  that  mournful 
anomaly  Alsace-Lorraine  ! 

Ought  we  not  rather  to  believe  that  God  never  confronts  us 
with  an  absolute  ziiipossibilily,  and  that  with  new  duties  and  new 
responsibilities  He  opens  up  to  us  new  treasures  of  His  grace  ? 
The  greater  the  share  He  gives  us  in  His  work,  the  greater  is 
the  honour  for  us.  On  our  fathers,  He  bestowed  the  privilege 
of  confessing  Him  upon  the  scaffold  and  the  rack.  For  us, 
their  children,  it  is  no  less  a  privilege  from  Himself  to  glorify 
Him  by  sacrifices  of  men  and  money  in  the  mission  field. 
Madagascar  will  yet  prove  the  Ecole  Militaire  of  our  Huguenot 
Churches. 

But  let  us  hasten  to  add  that  in  many,  many  quarters 
storehouses  of  prayer  and  faith  have  been  thrown  open  to  us. 
And  if  the  Lord  should  ask  us,  as  He  once  asked  His  disciples, 
"Lacked  ye  anything?"  we  could  but  answer  gratefully, 
"Nothing,  Lord." 

The  Barotsi  kingdom  lies  between  latitudes  i2"3o''  and  18° 
south  ;  20°  and  27'30°  longitude  east  of  Greenwich.  It  embraces 
the  whole  basin  of  the  Upper  Zambesi  west  of  and  including 
the  Kafu6  River.  It  stretches  from  the  outskirts  of  the  Kalahari 
Desert  on  the  south,  to  the  watershed  between  the  Congo  and 
Zambesi  systems  on  the  north.  Thus  it  is  not  a  mere  province, 
but  an  empire,  as  the  old  Portuguese  themselves  called  it — one 
of  those  native  empires  now  very  rare,  which  have  still  contrived 
to  maintain  their  independence.  Lewanika  is  no  petty  chieftain, 
but  a  potentate  who  possesses  the  right  of  life  and  death  over 
thousands  of  subjects,  and  whose  authority  is  recognised  by 
more  than  twenty-five  tribes.  Besides  being  very  intelligent, 
with  ideas  of  justice  which  are  somewhat  uncommon  among  his 
congeners,  he  is  nobly  ambitious  of  seeing  education,  industry, 
and  civilisation,  as  far  as  he  understands  them,  develop  among 
his  people.  Like  most  of  the  South  African  chiefs,  he  too  has 
been  influenced  by  the  prestige  of  "  Satory  " — of  Queen  Victoria. 
Having  emancipated  himself  from  many  of  the  customs,  super- 


6^6  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1897 

stitions,  and  prejudices  of  his  surroundings,  he  of  his  own  initiative, 
and  not  without  much  opposition,  applied  for  the  protectorate 
of  Her  Britannic  Majesty  and  of  her  Government.  But  harassed 
as  he  was,  and  is,  by  the  civil  wars  which  have  devastated  his 
country,  and  by  the  encroachments  of  the  Congo  Free  State, 
the  Portuguese,  and  the  Germans,  and  also  by  the  sanguinary 
raids  of  the  Matabele,  it  was  the  direci  Protectorate  of  the 
Imperial  Government  that  he  desired.  In  response  to  his 
overtures,  the  Administrator  of  Bechuana-land,  and  Her  Majesty's 
High  Commissioner  at  the  Cape,  both  recommended  him  to 
accept  the  advances  of  the  British  South  Africa  Chartered 
Company.  Believing  then  that  he  had  found  in  the  latter  the 
direct  representatives  of  the  Queen  and  her  Government,  he 
confided  to  them  at  once  his  own  interests  and  those  of  his 
people,  by  making  a  treaty  with  them,  and  conceding  mining 
rights.     He  did  it  in  good  faith. 

It  is  earnestly  to  be  hoped  that  the  authorities  will  prove 
scrupulously  faithful  to  the  pledges  made  in  their  name,  the 
more  so  as  they  represent  strength,  civilisation,  and  Christianity  ; 
and  will  show  that  for  them  it  is  not  a  mere  matter  of  getting 
all  possible  profit  out  of  a  country,  but  of  elevating  and  pro- 
tecting a  people. 

It  must,  however,  be  confessed  that  the  contempt  with  which 
Lewanika  considers  himself  (and  not  without  some  reason)  to  have 
been  treated  up  till  now,  the  promises  that  have  been  made  to 
him  and  never  kept,  the  grave  errors  committed  which  have 
more  than  once  compromised  the  peace  of  the  country,  have 
already  sown  a  deep  distrust  in  the  minds  of  a  race  which  is 
at  once  conscious  of  its  weakness  and  of  its  danger.^ 

The  future  of  the  country  must  of  necessity  depend  entirely 
upon  the  selection  of  the  administrative  staff.  May  the  Imperial 
Government  exercise  a  wise  choice,  and  may  the  magistrates 
show  themselves  worthy  of  the  Power  they  represent,  and  win 
the  confidence  of  this  interesting  people  in  these  critical  times ! 

The  line  of  mission  stations  at  the  present  moment  slants 

westward  from  latitude  15°  south  beyond  latitude  14°,  and  may 

extend    itself    indefinitely   to   the   north   and   the   east.      The 

climatic  conditions  are  such  that  we   might  say  as  the  spies 

^  These  words  were  penned  in  1896,  before  the  establishment  of  the 
Company's  administration.  Lcwanika's  visit  to  England  (1902)  has  probably 
dispelled  all  misgivings. — Ed. 


J897]  conclusion  637 

said  about  Canaan  :  "  It  is  a  land  that  catcth  up  the  in- 
habitants thereof."  It  is  a  true  White  Man's  Grave.  What 
we,  followin;^  Liviny,"stonc's  nomenclature,  very  improperly  call 
tJie  Valley,  is  nothing  but  the  bed  of  a  dricd-up  lake,  about 
twenty-five  miles  wide  :  its  length  is  ill-defined,  but  it  certainly 
extends  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  It  is  a 
denuded  plain,  traversed  by  the  river,  scattered  over  with 
anthills  and  a  few  clumps  of  trees  which  overshadow  the 
tombs  of  the  ancient  kings.  Submerged  for  about  three 
months  every  year,  it  becomes  a  lake  again  ;  sudden  squalls 
of  wind  render  its  navigation  dangerous  for  the  native  canoes. 
The  anthills  and  groves  stand  out  like  tiny  islets,  which 
become  the  refuge  of  rodents  and  reptiles  of  all  sorts. 

The  rainy  season  generally  begins  at  the  end  of  November, 
and  lasts  until  March  or  April.  The  annual  rainfall  is  about 
thirty-four  inches.  The  rainiest  months  are  December  and 
January ;  the  hottest  are  October  and  November,  which  imme- 
diately precede  the  rainy  season.  The  thermometer  often  rises 
to  113°  F.  (45°  C.) — rarely,  but  occasionally,  higher  ;  and  falls  to 
46°  F.  (8°  C),  sometimes  to  37'05  F.  (3°  C),  rarely  lower.  The 
difference  of  day  and  night  temperature  varies  in  different 
localities,  from  18^  to  27',  or  even  45'^  F.  (10°,  15°,  or  25"  C), 
taking  maxima  and  minima.  The  altitude  is  3,300  feet,  and, 
except  for  the  Batoka  country  and  the  region  of  the  rapids, 
is  mostly  flat  and  sandy.  The  line  of  low  hills  which  runs 
parallel  to  the  river,  and  the  dunes  which  surround  the 
Valley,  are  covered  with  forest,  or  rather  scrub,  which  in  no  way 
reminds  one  of  the  luxuriant  vegetation  found  elsewhere  in  the 
same  latitudes,  but  which  nevertheless  is  very  rich  in  timber-wood, 
as  well  as  in  various  secretions.  Doubtless  industry  will  turn 
them  to  account  some  day. 

It  also  abounds  in  honey  and  in  wild  fruits,^  which  are  a  real 
godsend  to  our  Zambcsians  in  time  of  famine,  while  the  river 
itself  is  an  inexhaustible  resource,  on  account  of  the  fish  which 
swarm  in  its  waters.  Fish,  indeed,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
elements  in  the  food  of  the  Zambcsians.  They  go  wild  over  it. 
Never  yet  have  I  seen  them  disgusted  with  any  fragment  of 
it  they  could  snatch  from  a  bird  of  prey,  no  matter  how  stale, 

'  In  a  former  note,  it  was  stated   that  there  is  no  fruit  in  Barotsi-land 
— e.g.  no  cultivated  fruits. 


638  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1897 

to  use  no  stronger  word.  Their  fishing  tackle  is  extremely 
various.  They  make  bow-nets  (nasses),  and  large  nets  of  every 
size,  and  weirs  of  reeds,  which  are  private  and  hereditary 
property.  What  they  do  not  eat,  they  dry ;  and  I  have  not 
the  slightest  doubt  that  it  is  to  the  abuse  of  this  diet  that 
they  owe  many  of  their  hideous  and  fearful  diseases. 

It  is  no  part  of  my  purpose,  and  space  would  fail  me,  to  speak 
of  the  wild  animals  of  these  regions.  Mr.  Selous  has  already 
done  so,  with  his  unapproached  knowledge  of  the  subject. 
Livingstone,  when  he  reached  the  banks  of  the  great  river  for 
the  first  time,  was  struck  with  astonishment  at  the  incredible 
quantity  of  big  game.  Scarcely  twenty-five  years  later,  although 
it  had  already  diminished  considerably,  I  felt  the  same  astonish- 
ment on  the  same  spot.  But  this  hunter's  paradise  threatens 
soon  to  disappear !  Among  these  innumerable  flocks,  the 
rinderpest — if  one  may  believe  the  elephant  hunters — has  already 
made  terrible  havoc,  and  has  thus  propagated  itself.  But  it  is 
the  native  hunters  themselves,  who,  totally  destitute  of  conscience 
in  this  respect,  are  hastening  the  extermination  of  certain  species. 
It  is  high  time  that  strict  and  intelligent  laws  should  protect 
what  survives ;  and  one  cannot  too  highly  applaud  the  project 
Captain  Gibbons  is  promoting — namely,  to  convert  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Victoria  Falls  into  an  immense  park  for  the  African 
fauna. 

It  is  not  uninteresting  to  know  that  the  tse-tse  fly  is  ever 
tending  to  recede  from  the  parts  it  formerly  haunted,  following 
the  buffalo  in  its  migrations.  Beasts  and  birds  of  prey,  lions, 
leopards,  hyaenas,  crocodiles,  etc.,  are,  unfortunately,  still  as 
common  as  ever. 

To  return  to  the  climate  after  this  digression,  for  which  I 
ask  pardon.  What  I  have  said  of  the  country  sufficiently 
explains  how  malarial  fevers  are  endemic  there.  The  natives 
themselves  are  subject  to  them.  Europeans  vegetate  rather  than 
live ;  they  get  used  to  it  without  acclimatising  themselves 
thoroughly.  In  this  connexion,  the  statistics  of  the  mission 
have  an  eloquence  of  their  own.  From  1884  to  the  present 
day,  the  staff  has  numbered  43  persons,  24  Europeans  and 
19  Basuto.  6  have  died  in  the  country  (3  Europeans  and 
3  Basuto),  and  10  have  had  to  leave,  all  but  one  or  two  on 
account  of  health.      Add    to   these    12    children   (6   those   of 


i897]  CONCLUSION  639 

Europeans,  and  6  of  Basuto  catcchists)  and  4  men  (all  Basuto) 
belonging  to  the  first  expedition,  and  the  number  amounts  to  22. 

Quite  recently  M.  Goy's  death  took  place  at  Scshckc,  closely 
followed  by  that  of  Mr.  Buckenham,  of  the  Primitive  Methodist 
Mission — two  strong  and  valiant  men.  To  us,  the  survivors, 
these  last  losses  have  been  a  great  shock.  More  than  ever  we 
feel  that  the  time  is  short.  And,  alas  !  we  have  not  a  single 
medical  man.  Young  Dr.  Dardier,  of  Geneva,  scarcely  lived 
six  months  :  no  one  has  taken  his  place,  and  up  to  the  present 
our  appeals  have  fallen  unheeded. 

And  now,  if  we  make  up  the  account  of  these  twelve  years, 
what  have  we  to  show  for  it  ? 

We  cannot  take  a  census  of  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
The  arithmetic,  like  the  geography,  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  not  that  of  this  world.  If  we  count  every  stroke  of  the  axe 
in  the  field  we  are  clearing  so  laboriously,  it  seems  to  us  that 
the  work  makes  no  progress,  and  we  are  tempted  to  cry  with  the 
prophet,  "  C est  pour  le  vide  et  le  ncant  que  fai  travaillc."  ^  And 
it  is  the  task  still  before  us  which  is  so  overwhelming. 

However,  if,  after  these  twelve  years  of  labour,  we  cast  a 
backward  glance,  there  has  been  a  certain  progress,  which  we 
must  take  note  of,  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Unquestionably,  a  great  change  is  already  operating  in  the 
country,  which  will  become  more  marked  as  time  goes  on  : 
the  interdiction  of  spirituous  drink.s,  of  the  slave-trade,  and  of 
the  barbarous  practice  of  "smelling  out  sorcerers"  ;  increasing 
security  of  property  ;  and  respect  for  human  life, — tokens  of 
civilisation,  of  a  real  need  felt  by  the  Barotsi  themselves  for 
developing  their  industrial  tastes  and  talents :  there,  in  various 
domains,  are  victories  which  the  Gospel  has  won  over  paganism. 
"  And  it  is  not  only  the  good  we  may  have  done,"  as  a  friend 
wrote  to  me  ;  "  it  is  the  evil — and  who  could  fathom  it  ? — that  the 
presence  of  the  Gospel  has  hindered." 

In  spite  of  the  departures  and  defections,  which  have  so  often 
distressed  us,  we  have,  at  the  present  moment,  eight  European 
missionaries  (including  myself),  seven  ladies,  six  native  evan- 
gelists and  their  wives,  all  devoted  to  our  dear  mission,  all 
united  in  the  intimate  bonds  of  a  family. 

But  what  especially  fills  me  with  joy  and  gratitude  towards 
•  Isa.  xli.v.  4, 


640  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1897 

the  Lord  is  that  school  of  cva7igelists  which  we  have  confided 
to  our  dear  brother  Adolphe  Jalla,  with  ten  pupils.  My  poor 
Seonyi  was  the  eleventh,  and  Semonji  would  have  been  the 
twelfth :  all  young  men  of  the  country,  and  the  fruit  of  our 
schools. 

And  then  there  arc  M.  and  Mme.  Mercier,  who  are  about  to 
restore  the  ruins  of  Sefula,  and  there  open  at  last  our  ijidiistrial 
school.  Are  not  these  the  first  streaks  of  light  which  herald 
the  dawn  of  that  day  when  God's  glory  will  shine  through  this 
land? 

These  five  stations,  scattered  along  the  river,  over  a  course 
of  more  than  three  hundred  miles,  form  each  a  centre  of 
education  and  evangelisation.  Although  the  awakening  of  two 
years  ago  has  by  no  means  produced  all  we  hoped  for,  and 
although  we  cannot  even  yet  "  bring  our  sheaves  with  rejoicing," 
yet  we  can  at  least  show  a  few  ears,  the  first-fruits  of  the  future 
harvest.  With  our  industrial  school,  which,  by  honouring  honest 
work,  will  break  the  bands  of  slavery,  and  with  our  young  school 
of  evangelists,  with  the  co-operation  of  our  friends  and  the 
blessing  of  God,  we  look  for  great  things. 

Our  annual  budget  stands  actually  at  from  ;^2,ooo  to  ;^2,8oo ; 
and  if  up  to  the  present  time  our  resources  have  responded  to 
our  needs,  we  can  without  misgivings  still  count  upon  God  and 
upon  our  supporters,  even  though  our  expenses  necessarily  go 
on  multiplying. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  cherishing  the  hope  that  my  departure 
from  the  Zambesi  is  not  final.  God  can  renew  my  youth, 
and  permit  me  to  return  one  day  to  this  great  field  of  work. 
And  when  the  harvest  has  come,  those  who  sowed  and  those 
who  reap  shall  rejoice  together. 

But  still  we  are  only  On  the  Threshold  of  Central  Africa. 
Each  of  these  pages  reminds  you  of  it !  Gaze  if  you  can  into 
the  thick  darkness  of  the  country  itself,  and  of  the  regions 
beyond.  What  are  our  five  stations?  What  is  that  of  the 
Primitive  Methodists  among  the  Mashukulumboe,  or  that  of  our 
friends  the  Brethren  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Bangweolo,  where 
Livingstone  fell  ?  Just  enough  to  enable  us  to  feel  and  show 
the  darkness  which  surrounds  us !  Sometimes  we  feel  like 
sentinels  lost  in  these  advance  posts. 

For  myself,  after  living  there  and  returning,  I  am  haunted 


1897]  CONCLUSION  64 1 

as  by  an  awful  nightmare.  Have  you  never,  my  dear  reader, 
been  struck  by  the  strange  curse  which  from  time  immemorial 
has  hung  over  Africa  ?  What  is  its  origin  ?  It  is  a  mystery. 
I  see  it  everywhere :  on  her  coasts,  without  bays  or  inlets, 
swampy  and  pestilential ;  in  her  rivers,  rendered  useless  for  navi- 
gation by  their  sandbanks,  their  rapids,  and  their  cataracts  ; 
in  her  limitless  deserts  ;  in  her  forests,  with  their  impenetrable 
thorn  thickets ;  and  in  her  barbarous  inhabitants,  crushed  by 
slavery  and  superstition.     Her  very  soil  is  cursed.^ 

Plagues,  incessantly  renewed,  devastate  her  richest  regions. 
Her  own  children,  in  their  huts  of  straw  and  reeds,  only  live  like 
birds  of  passage ;  they  are  not  at  home.  Their  very  festivals 
inspire  you  with  melancholy  ;  their  songs  are  dirges  whose  minor 
tones  draw  tears  from  your  eyes.  They  are  far  from  thinking 
that  we  Europeans  possess  the  monopoly  of  beauty,  and  yet  it 
is  from  our  own  white  colour  that  they  borrow  the  symbol  of 
happiness  and  joy :  "  their  hearts  are  white.'^  But  when  they 
suffer  and  are  sad,  "their  hearts  are  black"  ;  yes,  black  as  their 
skin.  And  thus  it  is  that  all  through  their  lives,  from  their 
birth-kennel  to  the  vulture-haunted  Aceldama  where  their  bones 
decay,  they  personify,  they  bear  the  very  stain  of  misery  and 
suffering. 

Is  not  this  malediction  engraved  in  characters  of  blood  and 
fire  upon  her  whole  history?  Even  before  knowing  Africa, 
Europe  robbed  her  of  her  children,  and  sold  them  over-seas 
like  cattle  in  the  market.  Then,  when  explorers  had  brought 
to  light  the  riches  of  the  country,  these  Christian  nations 
rushed  upon  the  spoil,  divided  the  continent  up  between  them, 
and,  unknown  to  the  legitimate  owners  of  the  soil,  disputed  for 
the  fragments  of  this  unhappy  Africa. 

And  yet  what  claims  she  has  upon  our  interest !  Even  the 
Psalmist  in  his  vision  beheld  "  Ethiopia  stretching  out  her  hands 
towards  Jehovah."  She  has  her  part  in  the  promise  of  salvation 
and  blessing  to  all  nations  :  her  tribes,  too,  will  have  their  place 

•  U  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  natives  themselves  recognise  this. 
Lewanika  one  day  asked  M.  Coillard  who  were  the  descendants  of  the  three 
sons  of  Noah.  M.  Coillard  replied  that  it  was  generally  believed  the 
descendants  of  Japheth  had  peopled  Europe.  "And  of  Shem  ?  "  "Asia." 
"  You  need  not  tell  me  tliat  Hnm  was  the  father  of  Africa.  I  knew  it  long 
ago."     "Why  so,  Lewanika?  '"     "  Ah,  my  father— the  curse  !  ' 

4« 


642  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1897 

in  the  glorious  multitude  out  of  every  people,  and  tongue,  and 
kindred,  and  nation,  whom  the  Apostle  saw  before  the  Throne 
of  God  and  the  Lamb. 

Will  not  Africa,  too,  have  her  day?  When  will  it  dawn? 
What  will  it  be  ?  Amid  the  confusion  of  European  greed  and 
injustice,  what  is  to  become  of  these  black  races?  We  feel 
the  dignity  of  manhood  outraged,  and  our  Christian  sentiment 
revolts,  when  we  hear  people  callously  speculating  on  their 
extinction,  like  that  of  the  North  American  Indians.  Their 
extinction  !  Yes,  perhaps,  if  these  Christian  nations,  unmindful 
of  their  pledges,  trample  down  the  rights  of  the  weak  with 
impunity,  and  flood  them  with  their  eau-de-mort. 

But  there  is  an  unconquerable  vitality  in  the  black  race 
which  gives  us  hope.  In  Natal,  within  twenty  years,  the  Zulu 
have  doubled  their  number  ;  in  thirty  years  the  Basuto  have 
quintupled  themselves,  and  have  overflowed  into  the  Orange 
Free  State  and  Cape  Colony.  In  this  race,  we  find  skill,  intelli- 
gence, the  sense  of  duty,  fidelity,  love  of  work,  desire  for  pro- 
gress :  in  a  word,  the  essential  qualities  of  mind  and  heart — and 
examples  of  such  are  by  no  means  rare — which  make  men^ 
which  inspire  great  movements  and  noble  deeds.  Ah !  if  they 
could  only  look  forward  to  the  centuries  of  Christian  education 
which  have  made  us  what  we  pride  ourselves  on  being,  who  can 
say  what  might  not  be  their  future  ? 

In  presence  of  the  immigration,  a  tide  which  nothing  can 
stem,  and  which  will  soon  invade  the  very  heart  of  this  ill-fated 
continent ;  in  presence  of  the  mines  that  are  being  opened 
up,  and  of  these  European  towns  now  springing  forth  in  the 
solitudes  as  if  by  magic,  these  railways  advancing  always 
farther  and  farther  inland  :  in  the  midst  of  this  upheaval,  which 
announces  the  birth  of  a  new  world — upon  us.  Christians,  this 
noble  task  devolves,  the  work  of  rescue.  If  we  cannot  save 
nations,  at  least  let  us  save  men,  let  us  save  souls  !  Far  be 
it  from  us  to  shirk  our  responsibility,  and  repeat  Cain's  hard 
speech :  "  Am  I  my  brother's  keeper  ? "  The  good  old  time 
has  gone  by  when  everything  in  Africa  moved  at  the  measured 
pace  of  oxen.  To-day  the  age  of  steam  and  electricity  has 
invaded  us.  The  time  is  short ;  let  us  redeem  it.  It  is  high 
time  for  the  Church  to  bestir  herself;  we  have  played  at 
missions  long  enough.     What  we  need  is  to  cast  aside  the  mask 


1 897]  CONCLUSION  643 

of  all  mere  religiosity,  all  that  is  simply  form  and  tradition,  and 
to  live  at  tJie  hcigJit  of  our  profession.  Long  cnougii  wc  have 
patronised  the  work  of  God,  and  have  interested  ourselves  in 
it  as  amateurs  :  what  we  need  to-day  is  to  make  it  our  work, 
to  feel  each  of  us  his  or  her  personal  responsibility,  to  spend  and 
be  spent  for  it — not  what  we  possess  or  can  spare,  but  our  very 
selves.  Those  who  pray  upon  the  mountain  must  feel  their 
oneness  with  those  who  fight  in  the  plain  ;  and  the  victory  will 
be  certain. 

When  we  see  missionary  festivals  so  run  after — when  we 
hear  these  stirring  hymns,  these  sublime  and  moving  protesta- 
tions of  our  compassion  for  the  perishing  heathen,  and  of  our 
entire  devotion  to  Him  Whom  wc  acknowledge  as  King — should 
we  not  expect  to  see  a  whole  crusade  on  the  march  for  the 
conquest  of  the  world,  singing,  "  Onward,  Christian  soldiers  "  ? 
One  might  suppose  that  all  we  have  and  all  we  hope  for  had 
been  laid  on  the  altar,  waiting  for  nothing  but  the  fire  from 
heaven. 

And  in  reality  what  have  we  done  ?  What  have  we  given  ? 
What  have  we  sacrificed  ?  Where  docs  this  spirit  of  renuncia- 
tion show  itself  in  the  details  of  daily  life?  What  discipline  are 
we  willing  to  submit  to?  What  ease,  what  luxuries,  have  we 
denied  ourselves  ? 

Have  we  not  indeed  often  grudged  to  God's  service  even 
what  we  could  spare  ?  And,  alas  !  even  this  half-hearted  zeal 
soon  evaporates.  The  fit  of  spasmodic  devotion  once  over,  we 
take  back  from  God  what  we  had  professed  to  give  Him  ;  we 
return  to  the  idols  of  our  hearts — refuse  His  claims,  and  leave 
the  heathen  to  perish  without  compunction. 

One  could  understand  this  in  those  who  have  only  tasted 
the  stagnant  waters  of  merely  traditional  piety.  But  how 
explain  it  in  those  who  really  have  "  with  joy  drawn  water 
out  of  the  wells  of  salvation  "  ?  How  can  they  help  echoing 
the  invitation,  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to 
the  waters  "  ? 

"  He  that  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him,"  said 
the  Saviour,  "  shall  never  thirst,  but  it  shall  be  in  him  a  zvc/l  of 
ivater  springing  up  unto  everlasting  life." 

They  have  drunk  of  this  spring ;  they  know  the  "  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ "  ;  they  are  persuaded  that  "  all  things  are 


644  ON   THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1897 

theirs,  even  the  deep  things  of  God."  I  speak  to  those  to  whom 
these  expressions  signify  realities.  They  feel  and  acknowledge 
that  they  have  entered  upon  a  great  inheritance.  Yes  ;  but 
these  "  springing  wells  "  flow,  alas  !  like  some  of  the  watercourses 
in  our  African  deserts — only  to  lose  themselves  in  the  barren 
sands  of  their  own  lives.  They  only  live  for  themselves,  and, 
while  knowing  the  love  of  Him  Who  gave  Himself  for  us,  are 
altogether  indisposed  to  pay  in  their  own  person,  and  give  their 
own  lives  for  their  brethren. 

But  besides  the  misery  of  the  heathen,  and  the  desire  to 
impart  blessings  we  have  ourselves  received,  we  have  a  third 
incentive— the  greatest  of  all  :  the  Second  Advent  of  our 
Lord. 

In  our  day,  is  not  the  painful  scene  of  the  Praetorium 
renewed  ?  We  see  Jesus  coming  forth,  wearing  the  crown  of 
thorns  and  the  purple  robe ;  and  while  the  people  press  round, 
some  to  mock  at  His  kingly  crown,  and  to  tear  in  pieces,  if 
they  could,  the  seamless  robe  of  His  Godhead,  others  are  ready 
even  to  crucify  Him — the  Son  of  God. 

To  this  scene  succeeds  another.  The  crucified  Christ, 
triumphing  over  death  as  He  had  triumphed  over  sin  and 
the  world,  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  alive  for 
evermore.  But  He  has  promised  to  return,  and  we  are  expect- 
ing Him.  Yes,  "all  power  is  given  to  Him  in  heaven  and 
upon  earth,  and  a  Name  that  is  above  every  name "  ;  "  every 
knee  must  bow  to  Him,  and  every  tongue  confess  that  He  is 
Lord." 

He  must  reign  !  The  times  are  rapidly  fulfilling  themselves. 
*'  Yet  a  little  while,  and  He  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will 
not  tarry."  It  is  His  own  last  word  :  "  Surely  I  come  quickly  " ; 
and  our  hearts  respond  in  ardent  prayer,  "  Even  so,  come.  Lord 
Jesus." 

But  we  cannot  rest  in  idle  contemplation,  and  content 
ourselves  with  hastening  His  return  by  the  barren  ardour  of 
our  longings.  He  desires.  He  deigns  to  associate  us  with  His 
work  of  redemption — we  whom  He  loves  and  has  redeemed. 
It  is  His  will  that  we,  and  not  the  angels  of  heaven,  should 
publish  the  Good  News  to  all  nations,  and  that  we  should  be 
His  witnesses  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  And  it  is 
His  will,  moreover,   that   we   should  do    it  in    the  spirit   that 


1^97]  CONCLUSION  645 

animated  Himself.     "  VVho./cr  tJie  joy  that  was  set  before  Him 
endured  the  Cross,  despising  the  shame." 

And  if  it  be  a  privilege  to  work  with  Him,  by  Him  and  for 
Him,  and  a  privilege  to  believe  in  Him,  is  it  not  one  still  greater 
if  He  counts  us  worthy  to  suffer  for  His  sake  ?  True  discipleship 
brings  its  own  reward,  a  present  and  actual  ofie  ; — let  us  say 
it  most  reverently — intimate  acquaintance  with  the  personal 
and  living  Saviour.  St.  Paul  desired  to  know  nothing  but  Jesus 
Christ  and  Him  crucified.  "  Yea,  doubtless  1  count  all  things  but 
loss  for  the  excellency  of ///^  knozvledgc  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord!' 

To  knoiv  Him — is  not  that  enough  to  kindle  within  us  that 
holy  passion  which  sets  Him  above  everything  and  at  the  centre 
of  everything,  so  that  we  can  say  with  the  Apostle,  "  The  love 
of  Christ  constraineth  us,"  and  to  sum  it  up  in  one  word,  "  To 
live  is  Christ  "  ? 

Are  any  who  have  heard  the  call  of  God  hesitating,  dreading 
to  obey  it  ?  Do  you  remember  Abraham,  "  the  father  of  all 
them  that  believe  "  ?  The  Lord  said  to  him,  "  Get  thee  out  of 
thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  father's  house, 
unto  a  land  that  I  will  show  thee  .  .  .  and  I  will  bless  thee  .  .  . 
and  thou  shalt  be  a  blessing."  "  He  obeyed,  and  went  out,  not 
knowing  whither  he  went "  ;  and  his  only  inheritance  was  a 
grave  for  his  wife.  Ah!  but  there  was  a  promise  too:  "Fear  not; 
/  am  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceeding  great  reward."  And  was 
it  not  fulfilled  ?  Will  any  who  have  followed,  however  remotely, 
in  his  footsteps  deny  that  it  has  been  made  good  to  them  ?  No 
indeed!  It  was  God  Himself  who  uttered  it,  and  He  keeps 
His  word. 

The  climate  of  Africa  is  dry — the  spiritual  atmosphere  still 
more  so.  It  is  one  in  which  mere  sentiment  and  enthusiasm 
rapidly  evaporate.  After  these  forty  years,  nothing  but  realities, 
proved  realities,  can  remain  ;  and  this  is  one  of  them.  It  is  the 
same  Almighty  God  whose  unchanging  faithfulness  upholds  us 
now. 

"  And  the  Scripture,  foreseeing  that  God  would  justify  the 
heathen  through  faith,  preached  before  the  Gospel  unto  Abraham, 
saying,  '  In  thee  shall    all   nations  be  blessed.'     So  then  they 
which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with  faithful  Abraham." 
#  *  »  *  • 

Gal.  iii.  8,  9. 


646  ON    THE   THRESHOLD   OF   CENTRAL   AFRICA  [1897 

To  the  beggar  who  knocks  at  our  door,  we  give  a  mite  out 
of  pity,  or  to  appease  our  consciences  :  from  the  Sovereign  wc 
humbly  ask  the  favour  of  being  permitted  to  offer  him  a  gift 
worthy  of  himself  Let  us  not  treat  as  a  beggar  One  Who  is 
the  Prince  of  the  kings  of  the  earth.  May  we  rather  crave  the 
honour  of  offering  Him  our  wealth,  our  strength,  our  talents,  our 
future,  yes,  our  whole  life— like  an  alabaster  box  full  of  precious 
ointment,  that  we  would  break  at  His  feet!  He  alone  is 
worthy  of  it. 

And  after  serving  Him  gladly  on  earth,  we  shall  serve  Him 
still  in  glory  ;  and  with  overflowing  hearts  we  shall  sing  amid 
the  great  multitude  that  no  man  can  number  around  the  Throne, 
"  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and 
riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and 
blessing." 


The  foUoiviitg  verses  af>pcared  tii  Thk  Christian  of  February  2^th,  1S92,  and  are 
here  rcl>rodticcd  by  the  kind  pcnnissioii  of  the  Editor. 

ON  THE  DEATH  OF  MADAME  COILLARD, 
ZAMBESIA,  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

"  There  came  a  woman  having  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment  of  spikenard  very  precioUs  ; 
and  she  brake  the  box,  and  poured  it  on  His  head  .  .  .  and  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus 
.  .  .  and  the  house  was  filled  with  the  odour  of  the  ointment." — Mark  xiv.  3  ;  John  xii.  3. 

Far  in  the  land  where  Afric's  sun  is  burning 

She  lies  at  rest, 
The  clay  to  earth,  the  soul  to  God  returning. 
Vain  are  our  tears,  and  vain  our  hearts'  sad  yearning : 

He  knowcth  best. 

Long  years  01  toil,  endurance,  high  endeavour, 

Lost  souls  to  save ; 
Long  years  of  weeping,  hoping,  praying  ever — 
Till  Death's  cold  clasp  her  strongest  tie  should  sever— 

And  then  the  gjave. 

No  marble  slab,  her  lofty  virtues  telling, 

Marks  her  release ; 
But  one,  whose  heart  with  anguish  deep  is  swelling, 
Prepares  with  loving  hands  her  humble  dwelling, 

And  all  is  peace. 

They  laid  her  near  the  tree,  whose  branches  weeping 

Shadow  the  mound ; 
And  there,  in  faith,  though  eyes  be  dimmed  with  weeping, 
Her  life's  work  done,  they  leave  her  calmly  sleeping, 

In  holy  ground. 

And  o'er  the  tomb,  in  fondest  recollection. 

They  sing  and  pray; 
And  to  tiie  heathen  preach  Christ's  resurrection, 
How  she  will  be  restored  to  tiieir  affection 

At  His  bright  day. 

Oh,  lonely  missionary,  comfort  taking 

Beneath  the  rod  ! 
The  heathen  shall  be  Christ's!     The  day  is  breaking; 
A  little  while,  and  then  the  glad  awaking. 

At  Home,  with  God. 

M.  A.  P 


647 


GLOSSARY 

The  limits  of  this  work  do  not  permit  me  to  make  more  than  one  or 
two  remarks  on  the  Sesuto  or  rather  se-Suto  tongue,  one  of  the  Bantu 
group,  as  it  is  called. 

This  language,  in  its  different  dialects,  is  spoken  by  the  whole  vast 
Bechuana  family,  which  occupies  the  interior  of  South  Africa  from  the 
Orange  River  northwards.  The  Zulu  family  lies  parallel  to  it  on  the 
East  coast,  and  the  Namaqua,  Korana,  and  Ovambo  on  the  West. 
Thus  it  is  spoken  throughout  the  Orange  Free  State,  the  Transvaal, 
and  Bechuana-land  itself  On  the  Upper  Zambesi  it  is  the  lingua 
franca  of  most  of  the  twenty-five  tribes  which  compose  the  Barotsi 
Empire,  having  been  imposed  upon  them  by  the  Basuto  themselves, 
who,  under  the  name  of  Makololo,  led  by  the  valiant  chief  Seljetoane, 
subjugated  them  in  a  former  generation.  And  although  the  Makololo 
have  been  completely  exterminated,  their  language  has  survived  them. 

It  is  now  generally  known  among  English  readers  that  these 
languages  are  inflected  by  means  of  prefixes  :  e.g. — 

mo-Siito,  sing.,  a  Basuto  native. 

ba-Suto^    pi.,  more  than  one  Basuto  native. 

bo-Suto,   the  Basuto  kind. 

se-Suto,  „  language. 

le-Suto,  „  country. 

It  is  worth  remarking  that,  among  autocratic  tribes,  where  men 
are  considered  the  property  of  the  chief,  the  plural  is  formed  in  ma  : 
e.g.  ma-Tabele,  ma-Tolela,  ma-Subia,  ma-Mbunda.  But  mo  is  invariably 
the  singular  prefix.  It  would  be  well  if  English  writers  could  agree  to 
adopt  the  same  method  as  the  French,  which  is  strictly  grammatical, 
and  write  mo-Rotsi,  ba-Rotsi,  se-Rotsi,  etc.,  treating  the  prefix  simply 
as  an  article,  which  it  is.  In  the  following  vocabulary,  I  am  doing  this. 
The  se-Suto  already  possesses  a  considerable  elementary  literature. 
The  New  Testament,  and  a  collection  of  hymns,  one  of  the  richest 
known  to  me  in  South  African  missions,  have  both  passed  through 
several  editions,  and  the  Old  Testament  is  in  its  third,  besides  a  good 

649 


650  GLOSSARY 

number  of  educational  religious  works.     The  output  of  these  is  very 
considerable  and  always  increasing.     The  central  depot  is  at  Morija. 

Lastly,  there  is  a  monthly  magazine,  edited  in  se-Suto,  Leseli  Nyana 
la  le-Siilo  (Little  Light  of  Lesuto),  which  was  started  by  M.  Mabille 
twenty-seven  or  twenty-eight  years  ago,  and  which  is  widely  read 
wherever  the  language  is  spoken. 

ba,  noun  prefix,  indicating  plural. 

ba-ketu  or  ba-kwetii,  compatriots. 

batia-ba-7nare7ta,  children  of  the  royal  family. 

ba-rtcti  (pi),  teachers,  hence  missionaries. 

ba-shimane  (pi.),  slaves  (of  lower  degree  than  ba-tlankd). 

ba-tlanka  (pi.),  inferiors,  servants,  serfs. 

Ba  nyanda,  =  "  I  don't  want  to,"  "  I  would  rather  not "  (allied  to  ho  nyanda, 
to  have  secret  forebodings,  to  murmur  secretly). 

bapala  {ho  bapala),  to  amuse  oneself,  to  play. 

bo,  noun  prefix,  indicating  either  (i)  the  kittd,  or  (2)  an  extension  of  mean- 
ing, whereby  a  singular  substantive  is  formed  into  a  collective 
one:  e.g.  Bo-Arone  means  "  Aaron  and  the  people  with  him." 

hontsu  boo,  "  that  black  thing,"  i.e.  the  common  people,  the  proletariat. 

bo-rena,  the  chiefs,  the  governing  body. 

bo-Rotsi,  the  Valley  or  low  country. 

E,  e,  "Yes." 

fatse,  (i)  country,  (2)  world. 

Gambella,  title  borne  by  the  Prime  Minister. 

kamarie,  a  young  girl. 

ka  meila,  all  the  time,  always. 

kanioso,  "And  to-morrow  "  =  "  Thank  you":  a  very  characteristic  ex- 
pression, contracted  from  "  Ka  moso  le  ka'  t7ta  maobane,"  and 
implying  "I  am  delighted  with  what  you  have  given;  evidently 
you  are  rich ;  please  continue  your  favours." 

kandelcla,  a  greeting  (kneeling  and  clapping  of  hands). 

ka-ngombio,  a  small  musical  instrument  on  the  principle  of  the  piano. 
A  dozen  tongues  of  metal  (more  or  less)  are  arranged  on  a 
board  five  or  six  inches  long  ;  it  is  placed  over  a  gourd  to  make 
it  sonorous,  and  played  with  the  thumbs. 

kaofela,  all,  everything. 

kashaiidi,  the  king's  private  office  near  the  kuandu. 

Kc  khotse,  "  I  am  satisfied  "  {i.e.  with  food). 

khosi,  chief,  one  of  the  nobility  (less  than  morend). 

khothla,  same  as  Ickhothla. 

Ke  Ictufno,  "  It  is  the  spear  "  {i.e.  civil  war). 

Ke  teitg,   "It  is  well." 

kolo'i,  waggon. 

kuandu,  the  king's  private  dwelling  in  the  midst  of  his  harem. 


GLOSSARY  65 1 

lekhothia,  public   place    or    forum   where    the    king    dispenses    justice; 

forbidden   to  women  except   during   a   case  in   which  they  are 

implicated. 

Lcnsolo  (Sesuto)       I,,      ..        ,,,     „,„. 

Z^;/^««^ (Sechuana)^') '""""- ^'^^''^"^'yS"'!'^"'"^^' (3)  all  instruction. 

lefoufa,  harem  jealousy. 

li-ko)nboa  (plural  01  se-kovibod),  tlic  king's  personal  attendants,  the 
ofticers  of  his  household,  who  form  a  court  party  always  in 
rivalry  with  the  heads  of  the  government  departments  (se-Rot'si). 

Lt07fiba,  Second  Minister  of  State. 

litaola,  divining  bones,  auguries. 

liyumbu,  food  of  liospitality ;  a  ceremonious  gift  in  kind  to  a  guest. 

locJni  (Sechuana),  death. 

Lu7Hela!  =  "  Good  day":  the  universal  greeting,  meaning  "Believe  me" 
(your  friend,  etc.). 

ma,  noun  prefix,  forming  plural. 

tna,  mother  or  matron. 

tnahelc,  native  corn,  sorgho  seed. 

ma-chaba-chaba,  numerous  tribes. 

ma-lapa  (pi.),  courts  fenced  with  reeds. 

mali,  money. 

via-Luti,  chain  ol  mountains. 

ma-Mbari,  half-civilised  negroes  of  Portuguese  colonies. 

ma-Mbnnda,  a  powerful  tribe  which  claims  as  a  speciality  a  great 
knowledge  of  medicines  and  divining,  and  possesses  the  mono- 
poly of  the  ordeal  poison,  the  7noati.  They  are  not  slaves,  but 
subjects  to  the  Barotsi  kings.  Hence  the  mistake  of  travellers, 
who  believed  them  to  be  a  ruling  tribe  on  a  level  with  their 
rulers,  the  Barotsi,  and  have  erroneously  spoken  of  "  the  Marotsi- 
Mambunda  Empire." 

mafidc,  a  valuable  shell  used  as  an  amulet. 

viaori,  title  borne  by  the  king's  wives  (se-Rotsi). 

Ma  rona,  "  Our  mother." 

ma-sole,  soldiers  (from  English). 

ma-tindi,  floating  islands  and  bridges  ot  strong  matted  ruth'iS  (se-Rotsi). 

tnatsa,  desert  pools  (Dutch  vlejs). 

Mawe  !  a  cry  of  suffering  or  astonishment  (se-Rotsi). 

mo,  noun  prefix,  indicating  singular. 

moaii,  a  violent  poison,  used  for  trial  by  ordeal  (se-Rotsi). 

tno'ifo,  a  picked  regiment  of  braves. 

violatlchi,  lost  (in  foregoing  text  wrongly  spelt  moallei^i). 

tno-Limo  (plural  me-limd),  God:  this  title  is  applied  by  the  natives  to 
tribal  deities,  e.g.  their  own  deceased  kings. 

ftio-Loki,  Redeemer. 

monere,  father :  a  title  of  respect  given  by  the  Basuto  to  missionaries 
(from  the  Dutch  mynheer). 

vio-Nydi,  a  ba-Nyai  native. 


652  GLOSSARY 

mo-rena  (pi.  ma-rend),  supreme  chief  or  king  (in  Scripture  —  Lord). 

7no-?'encng,  the  king's  residence,  the  capital. 

mo-Rotsi,  a  ba-Rotsi  native. 

mo-ruti,  a  teacher  :  title  given  to  missionaries  by  the  Barotsi. 

mo-sali,  a  woman. 

mosapo,  formal  present  exacted  by  chiefs  from  traders. 

vio-shiinane,  a  slave. 

mo-sito,  a  forest. 

nio-thlanka,  a  serf  (in  contrast  with  the  aristocracy). 

mothata,  india-rubber  tree. 

7no-tsualle,  a  friend. 

mpote,  intoxicating  honey-beer  or  mead. 

Mimda,  the  flood. 

Nalikuanda,  title  of  the  king's  state  barge. 

Natamoyo,  the  Minister  of  Mercy,  protector  of  accused  persons,  whose 
privilege  it  is  to  control  the  punishments  inflicted  by  the  chiefs, 
and  even  the  king.  He  can  liberate  any  one  at  his  discretion 
and  without  trial.  To  flee  to  his  house  or  touch  his  person  is 
enough  to  save  one.  He  is  chosen  by  the  king,  but  must  always 
belong  to  the  royal  family, 

njoko,  monkey,  baboon  (se-Rotsi). 

nkoU,  gourd. 

Ntate,  father,  ''  The  one  who  loves  me  "  :  a  term  of  affection. 

Ntate  oa  ivna,  "  Our  father." 

niko,  a  thing. 

nyaka,  doctor,  medicine-man. 

Nyamde,  the  Supreme  God,  symbolised  by  the  Sun,  and  worshipped  on 
certain  occasions  by  all.  Nyamde  conveys  a  more  exalted  and 
definite  idea  of  the  Deity  than  Afo/hno,  to  which  dignity  the 
Basuto  and  Barotsi  raise  their  ancestors.  The  deceased  kings 
are  melijno,  tribal  gods,  and  still  rule  the  nation,  but  do  not 
bear  the  title  of  Nyanibe,  which  is  reserved  for  the  supreme, 
mysterious,  unknown  God  (se-Rotsi). 

Pionenoko,  "  I  am  satisfied  "  {i.e.  content,  pleased). 

Salaiig  !  "  Rest  in  peace ! " 

se,  prefix,  indicating  the  language. 

se-koviboa,  see  li-komboa. 

sekukurume,  medicine  horn  (se-Rotsi). 

se-Nyat,  language  of  the  ba-Nyai. 

setimba,  drum  or  tom-tom,  a  sort  of  harmonica,  formed  by  a  series  ol 

wooden  notes  placed  over  gourds  (se-Rotsi). 
se-Rotsi,  language  of  the  ba-Rotsi. 
se-tlapitig,  (i)  tongue,  (2)  lie. 
setsiba,  a  piece  of  cloth  or  calico  two  and  a  half  yards  long  (the  usual 

garment,  and  practically  current  coin). 
Shangwe,  Sir,  Master — an  expression  of  courtesy  (se-Rotsi). 
Shoalela,  the  royal  salute  (se-Kotsi). 


GLOSSARY 


653 


Taba  ke  Ufi?  "What  is  the  news  ?" 

laii-ira,  "The  lion  roars." 

Tau-t07ia,  male  lion. 

thaka,  equals-in-age. 

T/tulo,  the  Gospel. 

tlobolo  ea  Molimo,  God's  guns,  t.c.  sky  rockets. 

tsipi,  (i)  bell,  (2)  Sunday  service. 


Kings  of  Bauotsi-land. 

Sebetoane,  migrated  from  Basuto-land.  ' 

Selceletu,  his  son,  died  of  leprosy     )    „        , 

,  •     ,       ,  f  Co-rnlcrs. 

Mmnochesane,  his  daughter  ) 

Selcka,  son  of  Sekeletu. 

Mpololo,  cousin  of  Sekeletu,  deposed  and  killed  with  all  his 

adiicrcnts. 


Makololo 
kings. 


Litta 


Buya-Moamboa 

Moramhoa 


Sepopa 


Mboho 


Robosi  Ngumta-lVina  Sepopa 

(Lewanika)     (deposed  and  banished) 

Litta 
(heir-apparent). 


Barotsi 
^     kings 

(incomplete 
tabic  . 


INDEX 


N.B. — Roman  iitiDterals  denote  "  Inlroductio)!." 


Aaron  Mayoro,  Basuto  catechist,  3, 
5,  12,  25,  30,  32,  52,  78,  121-123,  126, 
127,  137,  138,  145.  148,  151,  154-162, 
165,  170,  177,  17S,  191,  192,  199,  204, 
205,  207,  210,  227,  229,  234,  241,  249, 
253,  254,  264,  265,  286,  292,  295,  305, 
316,  321-323,  328,  336-341,  347,  380, 

391- 
Akufuna  or   Tatira,  sometime  king  of 
Barotsi-land,  158,  175,  1S8,  189,  194, 

195.  199.  307.  333.  342,  345- 

Andreas:  Basuto  catechist,  3,  12,  30, 
52,  79,  122,  123,  184,  192. 

Nguana-Ngomb(5  or  Andreas,  186, 

207,  234,  235,  237,  249,  260,  270,  277, 
284,  321,  328,340,  346,  358,369,  374, 
375'  377  ;  baptism,  382-384,  390,  391, 
398,  409,  431,  432,  434,  436;  carried 
off,  442-446,  449,  454,  460  ;  apostasy, 
503,  576,  587,  620. 

Angra  Pequena,  184. 

Arbousset,  M.,  pioneer  missionary, 
xxiii,  xxiv,  50,  94,  633. 

Arnot,  Mr.,  missionary,   124,    146,    147, 

194.  199.  384- 
Arthington,  Mr.,  109. 
Asser,    Basuto  catechist,   xxv,  xxvi,   3, 

5,  12,   17,  23,  30,  31,   52,  57,  64,  66, 

68,  78,  122,  338. 
Azael,    Basuto  catechist,  3,    5,   12,  30, 

52,  57,  78,  9>- 

Baines,  T.,  explorer,  21,  30,  37. 
Baldwin,    Mr.,    Metliodist   missionary, 
421,  480,  484,  501,  511,  519. 


Balubale  tribe,  468,  495,  594,  600,  603, 
606,  608,  610,  612,  614. 

Balunda  tribe,  546,  594,  600,  603,  604, 
606. 

Bamangwato  tribe,  43,  47,  51,  73,  128, 
129,  135,  154. 

Banyai  Exjjcdition :  First  Expedition 
organised  under  leadersliip  of  M. 
Dieterlen,  Departure  and  arrest  of, 
xxii,  xxiv-xxvi,  xxviii-xxx,  14,  81,  115. 

Second      Expedition      organised 

under  leadership  of  F.  Coillard,  de- 
parture, journey,  adventures,  and 
results  of,  xxx,  3-83,  338,  431,  613, 
630. 

Bapeli,  a  Transvaal  trib^,  xxiii,  10,  12. 

Barotsi  Expedition  :  Journey,  and  final 
settlement  of  expnlition  at    Sefula, 

99-274- 

Mission  founded  at  Lealuyi,  477- 

620 ;    Sefiila,    xxii,   xxviii,    xxxiv,   3, 

79.  277-474- 

Valley  visited  by  Banyai  Expe- 
dition, 53-72,  82. 

Basuto  characteristics,  185,  298. 

disarmament   war,   91,     99,     103, 

106,  338. 

Mission,    xxii-xxvi,   xxviii,    3,    17, 

43.  50.  3'8.  559- 

wars  witii  Boers,  xxiii. 

Batawana  tribe,  2ig,  220. 

Batlapi,  a  Transvaal  lril)c,  49. 

Batoka  tribe,  307,  30S,  324,  325,   357, 

387,  423.  425.  454.  45S.  527.  529.  555. 
622,  637. 


655 


656 


INDEX 


Bechuana,  53,  627. 

Beguin,    M.  E.,  missionary,   556,   558, 

562,  564-566,  583,  584. 
Bell,  Major,  magistrate,  84. 
Ben,  servant,  145,  149,  150. 
Benguella,  71,  146,  401,  445. 
Berea  mission  station,  85,  123. 
Berlin  Society  of  Missions,  xxiii,  xxv, 

17,  78. 
Berthoud,  M.,   Swiss  missionary,  xxv, 

14,  16,  17,  n,  79.  80. 
Bertrand,  Captain  A.,  619,  622. 
Bihe,  71,  215,  301,  382,  401,  445,  487, 

524. 
Bisseux,  M.,  102. 
Blaauwberg,  75,  76. 
Blockley,    Mr.,   trader,    140,    147,    186, 

188,  349. 
Boegner,  Mr,  and  Mrs.,  108,  456. 
Boers,  xxiii,  xxix,  3,  9,  15,  17,  45,  80, 

81,  100. 
Bohoa  Mountain,  21-23. 
Boiteux,   M.  and  Mme.,   missionaries, 

619. 
Bombe  or  Banyai'.     See  Banyai. 
Bomboe  Rapids,  364. 
Bosman,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  Dutch  pastor 

at  Pretoria,  15,  81,   115. 
British    protectorate,    of    Basuto-land, 

xxiv;   of  Khama's  country,    190;  of 

Transvaal,  3,  7,  13,  81  ;  proposed  by 

Lewanika,    329. 
British  South    Africa    Company,  384- 

389,  407,  437. 
Bubye  River,  21, 
Buchanan,  Rev.  Mr.,  78,  86. 
Buckenham,  Mr.,  Primitive  Methodist 

missionary,  447,  449,  451,  462,  463, 

501,  508,  509,  511,  519,  639. 
Bulavvayo,  31,  624-627,  629. 
Burgers,  President,  7. 
Bushman,   volunteer  in  Banyai  Expe- 
dition, 3,  5,  45,  70. 

Caledon  River,  114,  457. 

Calvert,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  85. 

Casalis,  M.,  Basuto  missionary,  10,  94. 

Chibi,  Banyai  chid",  32. 


Chobe  or   Linyanti   River.      See  Lin- 

yanti. 

Clark,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  128. 

Cochet,  Mile.  Louise,  105. 

Coillard,  Mme.,  xxx,  3,  6,  7,  21,  25, 
27-29,  33.  34.  37.  47,  57,  62,  63,  67, 
69,  71,  n,  79.  83.  108,  131,  137,  139. 
140,  142-144,  152,  159,  161,  173,  178, 
183,  187,  190,  195,  202,  233,  234,  236, 
239,  245-247,  258,  261,  262,  264,  268, 
272,  273,  277,  285,  286,  294,  322,  329, 
333.  335.  345-347,  358,  360,  369,  373. 
376,  378-380,  382,  391,  398,  409,  413, 
414,  427-434,  437.  439-442,  456-459, 
478,  502,  516,  587. 

Mile.  Elise,  niece  of  M.  Francois 

Coillard,  3,  12,  25,  27,  57,  69,  -]"],  80, 
108,  131,  139,  142,  155,  178,  186,  190, 
192,  203,  233,  265,  268  ;  M.  Jeanmairet 
husband  of.     See  also  Jeanmairet, 

Congo  River,  389,  502,  516. 

Creux,  M.,  Swiss  missionary,  xxv,  14, 
16,  17,  78-80,  117. 

Dardier,  M.,  294,  295,  315. 

Deka  on  River  Deka,  "jo. 

Depelchin,   Father,    Jesuit  missionary, 

198. 
Dieterlen,  M.,  xxviii-xxx,  3,   10,   13,  14. 

81,  115. 
Dormoy,  M.,  Basuto  missionary,  84,  93. 
Durban,  8,  103. 

Eclipse  ot  sun,  245,  251. 

Eleazar  Maiathane,  volunteer  in  Ban- 
yai Expedition,  3,  5,  12,  52,  57,  64, 
66-69,  70,  71,  91,  141. 

Elia  Mapike,  Basuto  convert,  94. 

Eliakim,  Basuto  catechist,  xxv,  17. 

Famine,  119,  125,  259,  464,  487,  510, 

585. 
Fire  at  Sefula,  390 ;  prairie,   142,  246, 

557- 
Flood,  annual,  177,  212,  262,  298,  351, 

409.  547-550- 
Fono,  driver  in  Banyai  Expedition,  3, 
69-71,  104. 


INDEX 


657 


Franz,  member  of  Barotsi  Expedition, 

253.  370,  392.  393.  395.  442,  453- 
Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  80. 

Gambella  or  Chiel  Minister,  57,  171, 
174-176,  219,  224,  226,  261,  279,  280, 
287,  294,  302,  303,  313,  319,  320,  329, 
330.  333.  356,  387,  388,  412,  449,  451, 
483,  494,  542,  565,  579. 

Gibbons,  Captain,  622,  638. 

Goedgedacht,  Dutch  mission  station, 
XXV,  16,  18. 

Gonin,  M.  and  Mme.,  115,  118,  384,630. 

Goy,  M.,  missionary,  294-296,  299,  302, 
337.  341.  377.  421,  422,  552,  553,  621, 

639- 
Griineberger,    Mr.   and  Mrs.,    German 
missionaries  at  Pretoria,  xxix,  14. 

Hannington,  Bishop,  230,  267. 
Harrysmith  in  Orange   Free  State,  9, 

12,  457- 
Helmore,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  52. 
Hepburn,  Rev.  and  Mrs.,  missionaries 

at  Shoshong,  5,  47,  49,  51,  52,  73,  74, 

78,  81,  125,  202. 
Hofmeyr,  Mr.,  Dutch  missionary,  xxv, 

16,  18,  20,  30,  76,  630. 
Holub,   Dr.,   199,  226,   231,    245,    267, 

299.  324,  325- 
Huguenot  Institute,  86,  102,  103. 
Huguenots,  76,  187,  318. 
Hunting,  62,    142,   250,   258,   287,  323, 

343.  365.  366,  591.  598,  600,  638. 

Inonge,  mother  of  Lewanika,  570,  571. 
Inyati  mission  station,  7,  30,  43. 
Isaiah,  volunteer  in  Barotsi  Expedition, 
116,  119,   192,   193. 

Jacob  Moshabesha,  evangeUst  in  the 
Barotsi  Mission,  474,  494,  498,  509, 
513.  544,  546,  549.  550-  562,  577.  584. 

Jalla  (Waldensian  missionaries): 
Adolphe,  M.  and  Mme.,  382,  384, 
386,  390,  398,  404,  415,  477,  479, 
480,  487,  502,  508,  513,  518,  520, 
540-543,    554,    556,    558,    560-562, 


564-567,  576-579,  593,  594,  618,  620, 
621,  640. 

Louis,    M.  and    Mme.,    294,   295, 

312,  316,  325,  366-369,  380,  396, 
415,   422,   434,   454,   456,   474,  488, 

489.  532.  533.  554.  555-557,  560, 
561,  568,  590,  620,  621,  627. 

Jeanmairet,  M.,  missionary  in  Barotsi 
Expedition,  107,  loS,  112,  122,  123, 
126,  133,  136,  142,  143,  146-148,  151, 
154.  155.  159.  161,  178,  i8o,  186, 
190-192,  197,  200,  205,  207,  209, 
227,  229,  230,  245,  265,  268,  312, 
325,  366-368,  392-394,  417,  452,  456, 
554- 

Jesuit  Mission,  124,  133,  146,  187,  188, 
190,  198. 

Joel,  son  of  Molapo,  106,  143. 

Johnston,  Dr.,  445,  454. 

Sir  H.,  437. 

Jonathan,  Basuto  convert,  106,  ri8,  124. 

Molapo,  Basuto  chief,  106. 

Jons,  M.  Coillard's  servant,  62. 

Josefa,  member  of  Barotsi  Expedition, 
148,  184. 

Joubert,  General,  115. 

Jousse,  M.,  missionary,  10,  12,  389,  556. 

Kabako  River  and  Cataract,  608. 
Kabombo  River,  547,  602,  604,  608. 
Kabuku,  Morantsiane  of  Shesheke,  226, 

236,  307.  308. 
Kachenje  Mines,  252,  254, 
Kafu6  River,  3S9,  450,  533,  600,  635. 
Kaiba,  son  of  Mokuae,  359,  361,  365, 

369.  396.  550- 
Kakenge,  chief,  607,  609-617. 
Kalahari  Desert,  81,  127,  180,  190. 
Kalangu,  Matolela  chief,  242,  243,  269. 
Kalipa,  chief,  612. 
Kalley,  Dr.,  of  Madeira,  87. 
Kamburu,  a  servant,  186,  207,  234,  235, 

243,  249,  252,  277,  284,  322,  35S,  392, 

442,  560,  564. 
Kan6,  desert  wells,  130,  134. 
Kanyanga,  chief  at  Seslieke,  149. 
Kanyonyo,    site  proposed  for  mission 

station,  314,  347,  382,  54S. 

[2 


658 


INDEX 


Kapakae,  village  in  Barotsi-Iand,  598, 

599- 
Karumba,  a  Barotsi  boy,  70,  109,  127 

144,  154,  157,  158,  183,306,  307,  313, 

314.  349.  383,  394.  400. 

Katoka,  sister  of  Queen  Mokvvae,  285 
329'  335,  377,  44o,  SU-  536,  596. 

Katuramoa,  shrine  of  a  deceased  king, 
343.  408,  409,  542-596,  609. 

Kazungula  Ford,  a  mission  station, 
157-159,  189,  190,  192,  193,  231,  233, 
234,  245,  268,  294,  315,  320,  349,368, 
369,  382,  392,  395,  396,  402-404,  415, 
416,  424,  462,  487,  518,  527,  533,  540, 
550.  552,  554-556.  561,  566,  568,575. 
580,  582,  585,  586,  590,  619,622,623, 

Keck,  M.,  missionary,  554;  Mile. 
Louise,    583. 

Kenya,  chief,  616. 

Khama,  chief  of  Bamangwato  tribe : 
Banyai  Expedition  received  by,  4,  47- 
52,  54,  55,  61,  73. 

Barotsi  Expedition  welcomed  by, 

Khama's  kindness  to,  121,  124-129, 
131,  132,  148,  157,  162,388,456,628. 

Government  and  Christianitj'  of, 

47,  190,  222,  223,  225,  281,  329,  330, 
381,  388,  437,  528,  564,  627,  628. 

Khosana,  volunteer  in  Banyai  Expe- 
dition, 3,  5,  63,  69,  70,  139. 

Kiener,  Mile.,  member  ol  Barotsi 
mission  staff,  394,  395,  409,  415,  425, 
428,  429,  431,  432,  434,  453,  457,  480, 
487,  488,  502.  518,  558. 

Kimberley,  85,  174,  507,  548,  555,  628. 

Kobe,  chief  at  Seleka,  122,  123,  127. 

Konkoe,  evangelist  of  Bechuana  Mis- 
sion, 53. 

Kuruman  mission  station,  49. 

Langalabalele,  Zulu  chief,  38-40. 

Lealuyi,  capital  of  Barotsi-land,  5,  146, 
154,  156,  160,  164,  165,  173,  176,  198, 
214,  216,  218,  224,  233-236,  253,  268, 
277,  282,  298,  306,  3".  314.  319,  326- 
329.  337,  340-342,  345,  351.  353,  355, 
360,  374.  377,  382,  385,  390,  408,  414, 
418,  424,  428,  443,  445-448,  451,  454- 


456,  462,  463,  466,471,  473,  474,  477, 
520,  525,  539,  541,  550-552,  558-561, 
564,  566,  567,  576,  584-586,  588,  589, 
597.  599.  602,  607,  616,  618-620. 
Lekhoa  Khoa  on  Kabombo  River,  345, 

383. 

Lepakae  in  Barotsi-land,  597,  617. 

Leribe  mission  station,  xxx,  xxxi,  3,  6, 
9-12,  15,  63,  68-70,  80,  83,  84,  94, 
102,  105,  112,  113,  137,  140,  160,  203, 
259,  266,  370,  389,431,  433.457,  543, 
564. 

Leshoma,  54,  57,  62,  63,  67-70,  132, 
134,  139,  141-143,  147,  151,  155,  157- 
160,  162,  163,  178,  183,  185,  189,  191, 
192,  195,  204,  206,  207,  226,  227,  231, 

322,  342,  541,  622. 
Letsuele  on  Zambesi,  358,  369. 

Levi,  evangelist  in  Barotsi  Expedition, 
116,  118,  119,136,  137,  143,  151,  159, 
191,  192,  210,  229,265,  312,  316,  338. 

Lewanika  or  Robosi,  king  of  Barotsi- 
land,  5,  57,  64,  67,  82,  124,  131,  148, 
149,  160,  172,  173,  194,  199,  200,  203- 
209,  214,  216-228,  236,  337,  240,  245, 
255,  258,  261-265,  268,  271,  272,  278- 
280,  282-286,  298,  299,  301-308,  311- 
314,  319,  320,  326,  329-331,  336,  341, 
342,  344,  345,  350,  351,  353,  354,  356, 
357.  368-371.  374,  376-378,  380-382, 
384-389,  394,  400,  401,  404,  407-417, 
421,  423,  424,  432,  433,  436,  437, 440- 
443,  446-452,  454,  463,  465-472,  482, 
483,  486-489,  491-503,  505,  507,  509, 
510,  514,  515,  525,  528-530,  533-539, 
542,  546,  547,  549,  553,  555,  559,  562- 
564,  571.  573.  575.  591-595.  598,  604- 
606,  610-613,  618,  635,  636, 

Libonda  on  Zambesi,  226,  593,  596,  597. 

Likokoane,  Lewanika's  nephew,  347, 
372. 

Limpopo  River,  xxix,  3,  6,  20,  72,  74, 
118,  119,  184. 

Linyanti  or  Chob6  or  Quando  River, 
57,  63,  71,  160,   189,  199,  205,  214, 

323,  389- 

Liomba  or  Mokamba,  280,  332,  333,  349. 
See  also  Mokamba. 


INDEX 


659 


Lions,  20,  21,  62,  638. 

Liponkoe,  evangelist  of  Bechuana  Mis- 
sion, 53. 

Litia,  son  of  Lewanika,  280,  286,  335, 
336,  340,  344-  346,  347.  350.  351.  359. 
361,  363-365.  374,  375.  378,  384.  390. 
391.  394.  397,  401,  404,  412,  425.  428, 
432.  434,  436,  442-444.  449.  452.  454. 
459,  481,  483.  492.  503,  514,  529,  533, 
545.  546,  550.  556,  568,  575.  589- 

Livingstone,  Dr.,  51,  57,60,  62,  65,  163, 
176,  204,  343,  350,  547,  596,  637,  638, 
640. 

Loanja,  morass,  240,  241,  249,  393,  403. 

Loatile,  sorcerers'  hillock,  478,  484, 
507,  511,  540,  620. 

Lobengula,  chief  of  Matabele,  4,  29, 
31-46,  51,  78,  190,  222,  529,  532,  625. 

Loch,  Sir  H.,  437. 

Lochner,  Mr.,  agent  of  British  South 
Africa  Company,  384-387,  394,  402. 

Locusts,  585,  626. 

London  Missionary  Society,  xxii,   35- 

37,  47.  74- 
London,  visit  to,  88. 
Loshu  Rapids,  167,  198,  365. 
Lovedale  in  Cape  Colony,  86. 
Lualaba  River,  71. 
Lumbala,  tributary  of  Zambesi,  6og. 
Lumbe  River,  211,  247,  250-254,  370, 

528. 
Lundi  River,  24. 

Mabille,   M.,  xxiv-xxviii,  xxxii-xxxiv, 

10,  12,  91,  395,  559. 
Machado,    Major,    Portuguese    officer, 

117. 
Machile,    tributary    of    Zambesi,    304, 

357,  622. 
Mackenzie,    Mr.  and   Mrs.,    Bechuana 

missionaries,  L.M.S.,  49,  50. 

Dr.  (son  of  above),  629. 

MacKidd,  Mr.,  missionary,  18,  630. 
Mad  dogs,  340,  349. 
Mahaha,  chief,  161,  195,  313. 
Maibiba,  sometime  queen    ot   Barotsi- 

land,  171,  172,  214,  216,  345. 
Malna,  king,  154. 


Makalaka  tribe,  21,  36,  46,  60,  168-170, 

172,  188,  212,  264,  303,  305,  361. 
Makapane,  chief,  murdered,  228. 
Makari-kari  Desert,  135. 
Makoatsa,    Khama's   envoy,    131,   148, 

157,  162,  181,  388. 
Makoloio  tribe,  xxix,  51,  54,  59,  61,  66, 

122,  163,  177,  199,  253,  297,300,  31-5, 

372,  470,  496.  592.  597.  598- 
Makotoko,  Nathanael.     See  Nathanael. 
Makupakupe  tribe,  307. 
Malan,  Major,  xxvi-.xxviii,  xxxii,  xxxiii, 

64,90. 
Malebogo,  chief,  75. 
Maliankombe,  chief  of  Banyai,  22,  24, 

29. 
Maloutis    or    Drakcnburg    Mountains, 

554. 
Mambari  tribe,  261,  262,  382,  401,  524, 

611. 
Mamboe  tribe,  600,  602,  612,  61 8. 
Mambova   Rapids,   157,   158,   191,   192, 

197,  199,  205,  237,  268,  314,  367,  415, 

518. 
Ma-Mbunda,    witch-doctors,   484,  494, 

495;  tribe,  374. 
Ma-Mochesana,  daughter  of  Sebetoane, 

171,  349- 
Ma-Moramboa,  chief  wife  of  Lewanika, 

440. 
Mananzoa  tribe,  186. 
Mangete  tribe,  246,  249,  257,  262,  268, 

269. 
Mangoko  in  Barotsi-Iand,  548,  549. 
Mangwato,  7,  47,  48,  50,  51,  53,  65,  115, 

117,  120,  121,  123,  125,  127-129,  134, 

135,  142,  144,  153,  154,  156,  160,  180- 

182,  192,  225,  233-235,  280,  281,  306, 

316,  324,  357,  370,  375,  434,  436,  442, 

453.  503- 
Maondo,  wife  of  Lewanika,  575. 
Mapena  chief,  75. 
Marico  or  Malikoc  River,  72,  119,  120^ 

125,  349. 

Ma-Ruthi,  wife  of  Aaron  Mayoro,  138, 

196. 
Masaroa  or  Bushman    tribe,   53,    119, 

126,  13s,  155,  186,  624. 


66o 


INDEX 


Masatoane,  chief  at  Sesheke,  163. 

Mashapatane  tribe,  54,  186. 

Mashawana,  Livingstone's  servant,  343. 

Mashi  River,  199,  214. 

Mashona  tribes,  323,  518. 

Mashukulumboe  tribe,  152,  153,  190, 
222,  231,  245,  246,  278,  280,  297,  298, 
305.  307,  310,  312,  313,  324,  325,  340, 
349.  357.  374,  375.  389.  4oi,  425,  436, 
448,  450,  455,  470,  501,  502,  519,  555, 
600,  640. 

Masiho,  Queen  Mokwae's  husband,  352. 

Masonda,  chief,  4,  24-29,  32,  56,  246, 
613. 

Massitissi,  Basuto  mission  station,  446, 
498. 

Masubia  tribe,  54,  57,  186,  210,  212, 
213,  235,  321. 

Matabele,  29,  32,  36-38,  44,  48-51,  56, 
122,  129,  143,  146,  147,  160,  190, 
198,  243,  300,  367,  384,  424,  527, 
528,  530,  532,  626-628,  631,  632,  636. 

Mathaha  or  Sefano,  rebel  chief,  174, 
179,  199,  206,  207,  214-216,  223,  307, 
343.  400,  547. 

Mathipa,  chief  of  Makalaka,  21. 

Matolela  tribe,  242,  243,  246-249,  252, 
258,  262,  268. 

Matoni6,  chief,  210,  211,  363. 

Mboho,  first  king  of  Barotsi-land,  595, 

596,  599- 

Mercier,  M.  and  Mme.,  640. 

Middleton,  Mr.,  member  of  Barotsi  Ex- 
pedition, 119,  127,  143,  151,  155,  159, 
165,  187,  189,  191,  197,  204,  207, 
231,  233,  234,  239,  240,  248-250,  254, 
260,  263,  270,  290,  291,  316,  322. 

Moana  Mbinyi,  shrine  of  deceased 
king,  170,   171. 

Moanza,  Matolela  chief,  243,  244. 

Mochache,  high  priestess,  'j'],  313. 

Moeya-nyana,  sorcerer,  282,  285. 

Moffat,  44,  49,  625. 

Mokamba  or  Liomba,  Second  Minister 
of  State,  428,  503,  546,  587-589,  594, 
595.  605,  606,  608,  610-612,  615. 

Mokanao,  Lewanika's  attendant,  521, 
545. 


MoKena,  wife  of  Litia,  568. 

Mokhele,  chief,  165,  168,  174,  175,  236. 

Mokuamboyo,  chief,  493. 

Mokumba,  chief,  57,  58,  191,  193,  197, 

235.  237.  294. 
Mokumoa-Kumoa,  chief,  210,  211,  218, 

220. 
Mokwae,    queen  of  Nalola,    214-216, 

224,  226,  236,  282,  285,  298,  301,  306, 

311,  312,  318,  319,  329,  334,  340,  344, 

345'  347,  350-353.  359-361,  369.  377- 
380,  382,  385,  396,  397,  416,  421,  423, 
424,  433,  438,  467,  492,  514,  536-538, 
540.  533.  559.  565-  584,  618. 
Mokwe  Tunga,  queen's   consort,   335, 

351.  352,  359- 
Molapo,  chief  of  Basuto-land,  xxx,  li, 

38,  39,  84,  92-94,  457. 
Monar6,  Lewanika's  servant,  400,  401. 
Monde,  daughter  of  Mokwae,  318,  347, 

348,  372. 
Morantsiane,  official  title  of  the  chief 

of  Sesheke,  58,  62,  64,  145,  147,  156, 

191,  203,  204,  206,  226,  236,  238,  245, 

307,  308,  320. 
Moremi,  chief  at  Lake  Ngami,  49,  53, 

122,  219,  220. 
Morija,    Evangelistic  Training    School 

at,  xxviii,  xxxiii,  9,  10,  12,  109,  116, 

127,  375,  404,  498,  560,  580. 
Mosala,  chief,  146,  148. 
Moselikatse,  father  of  Lobengula,   39, 

59- 
Mosenene    or    Zacchaeus    or    Zakea. 

See  Zakea. 
Moshesh,  Basuto  chief,  xxii,  84,  92. 
Mosikili,  island,  240,  241,  243. 
Mosoandunga,  chief  of  Balubale  tribe, 

606,  607,  616. 
Motondo  River,  255,  522,  566. 
Mozila,  chief,  36,  40,  43,  51. 
Mpalira,  island,  57,  58,  66,  157,  162,  367. 
Mpololo,  chief  of  Makololo,  59,  592. 
Mpololoa,  princess,  334,  335. 
Msidi  or  Mosili,  384,  445. 
Murray,  Mr.  Andrew,  102,  629,  630. 
Musi  oa  Tunya.     See  Victoria  Falls. 
Musson,  Mr.,  merchant,  121,  181. 


INDEX 


66 1 


Naliele  on  Zambesi,  58,  62. 

Nalikuanda,  royal  barge,  354,  409,  410, 
440,  497,  549,  550,  592,  595. 

Nalolo,  second  capital  of  Barotsi-land, 
171,  173.  212,  224-226,304,  306,  315, 
329.  350.  35 1.  353,  359.  360,  369,  396, 
448,  467,  468,  536,  537,  539,  540,  558, 
562,  564,  565,  577,  579,  583,  618,  620, 
621. 

Narubntu,  Lewanika's  councillor,  319, 
388,  400,408,  571-573.  599- 

Nashintu,  chiefess,  313,  470,  471. 

Nata  River,  135. 

Natamoyo,  Minister  of  Mercy,  214,  302, 
319.  333.  400. 

Nathanael  Makotoka,  12,  84,  105,  457, 
564. 

Neethling,  Mr.,  Dutch  pastor,  629,  630. 

Ngami,  Lake,  37,  48,  49.  5'.  53.  59-  81, 

219.  333- 
Ngonye  Falls,   167-169,  194,  264,  357, 

361,  362,  497,  607. 
Nguana-Ngombe     or    Andreas.       See 

Andreas. 
Nguana-Wina,  nephew  of  Sepopa,  57, 

82,  145. 
Nguanetsi  River,  22,  23. 
Njoko  River,  245,  251,  253,  364,  393, 

528. 
Njonjoro,  chief,  601. 
Nolianja,  wife  of  Lewanika,  562,  563. 
Norea,  wife  of  Jacob  the  evangelist, 

544.  563.  584- 
Nyakametsi,  chieftainess  of  the  Balu- 

bale,  606. 
Nyakatoro,   mother  of   Kakenge,    607, 

611,  614,  615. 
Nyambe,  the  Supreme  God,  535. 
Nyamonto,  23. 
Nyanikoe,  29,  36,  41,  60. 
Nyassa,  Lake,  384,  630. 
Nyondo,    Mashukulumboe    slave    and 

convert,  374,  375.  436,  481,  534-  545. 

548,  549-  576.  622. 

Orange  Free  State,  xxiii,  .xxiv. 

Pakalita,  Mokwae's  Prime  Minister, 
murder  of,  215. 


Palapye,  Khama's  capital,  490,  555,  624. 
Pata-matcnga,  132,    143,  154,  156,  1S7- 

189,  198,  199,  231,  324,  333,  624. 
Paulus    Kanedi,    evangelist,   446,    449, 

456,  483,  490,  494,  498,  499,  509,  513, 

558,  577.  584- 
Pliiloloka,  daugliter  of  Aaron  Mayoro, 

178,  192. 
Pictermaritzburg  in  Natal,  8,  103,  104. 
Portuguese    influence,    100,    381,    382, 

546,  604,  611. 
Potchefstroom  in  Transvaal,  75,  81. 
Pretoria,  xxix,  3,  13,  72,  79-81,  114,  115, 

160,  206,  207,  231,  233. 
British  proclamation  at,  13. 

QuANDO.    See  Linyanti  River, 
Queen   Victoria,    198,    329,    386,    427, 
628,  63s.  636. 

RataD,  chief,  146-148,  157,  160,  163, 
193-195,  206,  211,  228,  229,  236,  239. 

Reid,  Mr.,  622. 

Religious  customs  of  Barotsi,  169,  170, 
171,  202,  211,  218,  224,  237,  272, 
278,   282,   303,    343,    399,   455,  474, 

535-  595-  598. 

Rhenisli  Mission,  103. 

Rinderpest,  627,  631. 

Robosi  or  Lewanika,  king  of  Barotsi- 
land.     See  Lewanika. 

Ruena  River,  343,  418,  610. 

Ruyi  River,  254-256,  528. 

Sabi  River,  36,  43. 

Salisbury,    Fort ;    or   Walta,   45,   490, 

627. 
Salis-Fanson,  Baron  de,  Belgian  Consul 

at  Pretoria,  14. 
Samoinda,  son  of  Nashintu,  313,  470. 
Sana,  temporary  capital,  408,  409,  412. 
Sapuma  Rapids,  600,  607-609. 
Saul's  Poort  mission  station,  118,  119, 
I        184. 
Schwellnus,    Mr.,  German  missionary, 

16. 
Seajika,   70,    loy,    154,  200,    202,   306, 

307.    313,   3«4,   326,    341.   350,    354, 


662 


INDEX 


355.  358.   369-  382,   383,  400,  423, 
443.  503- 

Sebane,  girl  pupil,  334;  married  to 
Franz,  453. 

Sebetoane,  chief  of  Makololo,  xxix, 
59.  66,  171,  349. 

Sechuana  dialect,  49. 

Segle,  Isaiah,  xxiii. 

Sefula  in  Barotsi-land,  177,  189,  190, 
197,  226,  257,  259,  260,  262,  266,  269, 
272,  277,  290,  294-296,  303,  309,  310, 
315,  316,  320,  334,  335,  339,  340,  344, 
346,  351.  358,  366,  368,  371,  373,  374, 
380,  382,  385,  392-396.  398.  403,  404. 
411-415,  429,  434,  444,  445,  451,  454, 
456,  470,  477,  479-484,  487-489, 499- 
503,  508,  510,  511,  513-516,  518,  520, 
521,  538,  540,  541,  546,  548,  549,  551, 
558-561,  564-566,  577,  580,  584,  586, 
589,  590,  592,  620,  621,  640. 

Sekeletu,  chief  of  Makololo,  59,  66. 

Sekhosi,  a  Zambesi  chief,  240,  264. 

Sekololo  language,  179. 

Seleka,  village  of,  5,  74,78-80,  121-123, 
127,  192. 

Selous,  Mr.,  323-325,  638, 

Semonja  or  Sebeho,  chief,  564,  577, 
578,  586,  587,  594. 

Semonji,  convert,  621,  622,  640. 

Senanga  in  Barotsi-land,  212,  361,  600. 

Seoli,  Minister  of  State,  332,  349,  352. 

Seoma  on  Zambesi,  167,  168,  212,  214, 
226,  227,  361,  362,  368,  369. 

Seonyi,  native  convert,  560,  621,  640. 

Sepopo,  king  of  Barotsi-land,  48,  56, 
238,  268,  301,  346,  350.  372,  524.  563. 
591.  592,  599- 

Serotsi  language,    151,   162,   179,    279, 

540,  545- 

Serpa  Pinto,  Major,  Portuguese  ex- 
plorer, 71,  152,  i6i,  169. 

Sesheke  mission  station,  5,  57,  58, 
60-62,  64,  66,  68,  69,  71,  141-154, 
156-159,  161,  162,  167,  168,  173,  174, 
178,  188-195,  197,  199-204,  206,  209- 
211,  224,  226-228,  231,  233,  234,  236, 
238-240,  244-246,  249,  252,  253,  257, 
259,  262,  264,  267-269,  272,  273,  283, 


284,  290,  294,  301,  304,  307-313,  315, 
322,  325,  328,  333,  338,  341,  342,  347, 
355-  358,  366-368,  370,  371,  375,  382, 
385,  386,  390,  392-394,  403,  413,  416, 
417,  421,  423,  438,  461,  487,  518,  527, 
540,  541.  550.  553-  554-556,  585,  590. 
639- 

Sesuto  language,  16,  33,  41,  49,  51,  54- 
56,  59,  62,  65,  114,  125,  151,  152,  279, 
384,  398,  401,  432,  447,  482. 

Setoka  language,  151. 

Shepstone,  Sir  Theophilus,  7,  13,  14. 

Sliiloh,  mission  station  at,  43. 

Shoshong,  5,  41,  43,  47,  71,  73-76,  78-81, 
125,  129,  13s.  143. 

Silva  Porto,  Portuguese  trader,  146. 

Sind6,  chief  of  Balunda  tribe,  546,  604, 
605,  616. 

Slavery,  65,  152,  200,  207,  228,  305,  327, 
382,  397,  401,  435,  446,  550,  639; 
slave-market,  471. 

Small-pox,  473,  483,  484, 

Stech,  Mr.,  missionary,  76, 

Stellenbosch,  South  African  School  of 
Theology  at,  15,  86,  103. 

Stewart,  Dr.,  86. 

Sykes,  Mr.,  missionary  to  Matabele, 
35-38,  44. 

Tahalima,  chief,    147,  148,   157,    160, 

163,  236,  307. 
Tati  gold  field,  45,  71,  181,  187. 
Tatira.     See  Akufuna. 
Taii-ira,  Liomba's  friend,  594,606,  612. 
Termites,  290,  491,  500,  523,  558. 
Thaba  Bossiou,  Basuto  mission  station, 

xxiii,  XXX. 
Thateli,  chief,  in  Blaauvvberg,  75,  76. 
Theron,    Mr.,    Dutch   pastor   at    Beth 

lehem,   114. 
Thomas,  Mr.,  missionary  to  Matabele, 

44- 
Transvaal,  3,  17,  100. 
Trek-menschen,  81. 
Trial  by  ordeal,  282,  288,  342,  372,  376, 

400,  639. 
Tse-tse  fly,   54,  139,  193,  240-242,  244, 

249'  312,  393,  638. 


INDEX 


663 


Uganda,  504,  505. 

Valdezia,  Swiss  mission  station,  5, 
16,  70-73.  77-79.  122,  124. 

Victoria  or  Musi  oa  Tunya  Falls,  54, 
55,60,  132,  133,  143,  151,  169,  1S5, 
324,  507,  556,  588,  607,  624,  638. 

Victoria,     See  Queen  Victoria. 

Waddell,  Mr.,  member  of  Barotsi 
Expedition,  127,  136,  143,  151,  155, 
189,  205,  234,  239,  240,  248-250,  258, 
260,  270,  290-292,  310,  322,  336,  346, 
369.  371.  378.  380,  394,  397,  402, 
409,  431.  432,  434,  435.  453.  455. 
480,  497,  501,  507,  512,  514,  5»6, 
519.  521,  523.  526,  539.  543.  546, 
558,  580. 

Wall,  Harry,  hunter,  358,  366. 

Walta.     See  Fort  Salisbury. 

\\'ar  with  Makololo,  66  ;  with  Mashu- 
kulumboe,  297-305,  310;  with  Balu- 
bale,  468-473,  495  ;   with  Matabele, 

527-531- 
Ware,  Mr.,  356-358,  360. 
Warren,  Sir  Charles,  85. 
Warrior-ants,  485,  491,  502,  549. 
Warubita,  chief,  174,  175. 
Weitzecker,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  110-112. 
Wellington,  102,  629. 
VVestbeech,  Mr.,  trader,  132,   133,  187, 


188,  190,  21 1,  219,  222,  226,  301,  315, 

349.  356. 
White  ants.     See  Termites. 
Whiteley,  Mr.,  121,  127,  128,  135,  181. 
Witchcraft,  33,  282,  284,  372,  376,  478, 

494.  524- 

Zakea     Mosenene,    evangelist,     112, 

123,  127,    184. 

Zambesi,  48,   51,  53-59,  65,  68,  71,  73, 
80-83,  86,90,  93,  106,   1 08- 1 13,   118, 

124,  126,  129,  132,  134,  139,  140,  142- 
146,  153-156,  162,  163,  165-167,  170, 
179-181,  185,  186,  189,  190,  192-197, 
202,  203,  205,  207,  212,  224,  230,  231, 
233,  234.  238,  242,  251,  252,  254,  256, 
266,  268,  272,  281,  294,  297,  313.  315- 
318,  320,  323,  325,328,  336.  338,  348, 
349.  355.  357.  358.  360-368,  378,  380, 
384.  389.  395.  39^'.  403.  408,  409.  414. 
416-418,  420,  425,  429,  432,  445,  450, 
460,  462,  465,  469,  479,  484.  490,  504, 
507,  519,  526,  52S,  540,  544,  551,  552. 
554.  556,  560,  561.  567,  579.  580.  587, 
591,  602,  603,  608,  619,  622,  623,  627, 
628,  631,  635,  640. 

Zeerust,  125. 
Zimbabye,  xxv,  46. 
Zoutpansbcrg  Mountains,  16,  75. 
Zulu,  xxiv,  23,  40,  104,  150. 


Prinlcii  hy  Huzcll,   (I'atson,  <S-  V'incy,  Ld.,  London  and  Aylt^bury. 


